Hernandez

Suddenly, just three games separate the York Revolution from first place in the Atlantic League Freedom Division.

The surging Revs opened their eight-game road trip with a 7-1 victory over the Bridgeport Bluefish at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Memorial Day evening.

York has now won four of its last five games. The Revs are still in last place in the Freedom Division at 12-17, but arch-rival Lancaster is now the division leader at just 16-15 after beating Somerset on Monday, 1-0, in 10 innings.

With the game scoreless in the sixth inning, York's Michael Hernandez ripped a two-run triple to the gap in right-center as the Revs drew first blood. An inning later, Liubiemithz Rodriguez connected on a two-run double to

Hill
center field with two outs in the seventh, as the lead grew to 4-0.

York added three more in the eighth with a five-hit inning. James Shanks, Travis Scott and Brandon Haveman each drove in runs on base hits, increasing the lead to 7-0.

The game was a quickly-paced pitcher's duel early on. York's Shawn Hill allowed just one hit through the first four innings for the second straight start, and allowed just three hits total in 41/3 scoreless innings in his second start of the year. Hill has now combined for 81/3 scoreless innings in two starts.

Reliever Yunior Novoa (1-3) entered with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, and struck out both Kennard Jones and Pedro Lopez to keep the game scoreless at the time, before hurling a scoreless sixth to earn his first win.

Bridgeport's only run scored on a pop-up single by Luis Rodriguez that landed in shallow left-center in the bottom of the eighth.

Bluefish starter Tobi Stoner (1-4) took a two-hit shutout into the sixth, but was ultimately tagged with the loss, responsible for four runs in 62/3 innings.

Notes:

---York's 13 hits tied a season-high. The five hits in the eighth inning were the most in one inning this season. York collected 11 of its 13 hits between the sixth and eighth innings. Hernandez (3-for-5) came within a homer of the cycle. Haveman also went 3-for-5 for York.

---The Revs had been just 4-11 all-time in series openers in Bridgeport, and had lost seven of their previous eight series openers at Harbor Yard. It marks the second consecutive year that York has won on Memorial Day in Bridgeport. York has won four of five games for the first time this season. The Revs have also won back-to-back road games for the first time this year. They are within three games of first place for the first time since May 7.

---York's Corey Thurman (2-1, 6.38) will face Bridgeport's Gilbert De La Vara (2-1, 4.08) in Tuesday's game at 7:05 p.m.