Bluefish Top Revolution

By Bob Phillips

The York Revolution mounted a valiant comeback in the bottom of the
ninth, but the Bridgeport Bluefish held on for a 7-5 victory.

YORK, Penn. – The Bridgeport Bluefish defeated the York Revolution, 7-5, before 1,703 fans at PEOPLEsBank Park to open a three-game weekend series. It represented the return from the All-Star Break for both teams, and Mother Nature played tricks on them all night—including a one-hour and seven-minute rain delay in a game that lasted over three hours.

Bridgeport took a 1-0 lead just three batters into the contest when Jose Cuevas drove home D’Arby Myers who had reached on an infield single and then stole second. That extended the on-base streak for Myers, a 2017 Liberty Division All-Star, to a team-leading 19.

In the top of the third it was again Myers delivering by smacking a solo shot over the left field wall staking the ’Fish to a 2-0 advantage. It was his third dinger of the season.

The Bluefish took a 3-1 lead in the top of the seventh when Luis Hernandez, also a 2017 Liberty Division All-Star, drove home Meyers.

In the top of the eighth, Bridgeport had a field day, batting around and scoring three more runs to give them a 6-2 lead. A two-out RBI infield single by Myers (his fifth in as many at bats) and back-to-back bases-loaded walks to Hernandez and Cuevas produced the runs. Myers’ five hits in one game was his season high, and the red-hot outfielder now leads the Atlantic League with a .356 batting average.

The Bluefish added an insurance run in the top of the ninth when Ozney Guillen drove home Tony Abreu with a single that put Bridgeport up 7-3. York responded with two runs in the bottom of the ninth—and brought the potential winning run to the plate. But Isaias Tejada sent one to the warning track deep in right field, narrowly missing a walk-off home run, but ultimately, it was a case of too little, too late fpr the Revs. as the ’Fish swam away with a 7-5 win.

Myers’ five-hit day was the second of the year for a Bluefish player—the other coming on June 27 when Abreu pounded out five base hits in an 11-0 pounding of these same Revs at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard.

Bridgeport starter Jonathan Albaladejo picked up the victory and improved to 6-6 on the season. He allowed just two runs on five hits in 6.1 innings—striking out six. It was the ninth quality start of the season in 15 appearances for the reigning Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year. York starting pitcher Jay Gause (3-1) was tagged with the loss. He gave up two runs on six hits (one home run) over 4.2 innings, walking three (one intentional) and striking out three.

With the win, the Liberty Division-leading Bluefish improve to 5-3 in the second half (46-32 overall—their high-water mark of the season). The Revs, meanwhile, fall to 4-4 (32-46), and are currently in second place in the Freedom Division. The ’Fish continue on their short three-game road-trip tonight in York, and will return to the Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Monday when they entertain the Somerset Patriots. Somerset is currently 3-4, 1.5 games behind Bridgeport, but won the first half Liberty Division title over the ’Fish by a mere one game. It will be the first game of a three-game series with the Pats, and kicks off a seven-game homestand. First pitch is scheduled for 7:12 p.m.

In conjunction with DOT Generation, the Bluefish team up with local non-profit groups on all Mondays (“Make a Difference Monday”). This Monday, workers in the service industry will be honored. Email community@bridgeportbluefish.com for more information, or CLICK HERE for tickets.

—with staff reports