Opening Day Partners thought they finally had a dream scenario. York and Lancaster appeared to be in a playoff chase. That was before Lancaster fell apart by losing six of their last seven entering Thursday night.
York remains in first place, but the Newark Bears are poised to challenge the Revs for the second-half title. But Lancaster could spoil York's playoff hopes.
Here's a look at the upcoming three-game series in York:
THE SERIES
Game 1: Friday, 7:07 p.m.. York RHP Corey Thurman (8-7, 4.77 ERA) vs. Lancaster RHP Jason Scobie (1-4, 3.91)
Game 2: Saturday, 7:07 p.m. York RHP Aaron Rakers (9-7, 4.56 ERA) vs. Lancaster RHP Ben Fritz (0-0, 4.43)
Game 3: Sunday, 5:07 p.m. York RHP Dan Foli (4-6, 5.53 ERA) vs. Lancaster TBA
PLAYERS TO WATCH
York: First baseman/outfielder Chris Ashby remains a player to watch, but for a different reason than usual. Suffering through a rare slump, Ashby entered Thursday in the midst of a 2-for-21 skid. Catcher Sandy Aracena is batting .346 (9-for-26) during his last eight games.
Lancaster: After spending much of the season on the disabled list, it appears Ian Bladergroen has found his swing again. He entered Thursday batting .429 (9-for-21) in his last five games with two homers. During the same stretch, Michael Woods has also been a force, batting .450 (9-for-20) with a pair of homers.
ROUTE 30 SERIES
Lancaster leads the season series, 7-6. The winner of the season series will be awarded the Community Cup. Lancaster will retain the Cup in the event of a tie.
York and Lancaster close out the regular season with a home-and-home series featuring two games in York -- starting Sept. 18 -- before heading to Clipper Magazine Stadium for two games starting Sept. 20.
PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS
After their three-game set against the Barnstormers, the Revs host 10 more home games. The Revs play their next 14 games against Liberty Division foes before finishing with three games against Newark and four against Lancaster. The final week of the season could decide the second-half champion in the Freedom Division.
Playoffs begin Sept. 23. Should York win the second-half title, the Revs will host Game 1 against Somerset before traveling to Bridgewater, N.J., for Game 2 and 3.
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