Right-hander Michael Nix (above) will be pitching for Sugar Land this season. Bill Kalina file photo.

The York Revolution were dealt a couple blows on Wednesday. The expansion Sugar Land (Tex) Skeeters signed right-handed reliever Michael Nix. And the Revs found out left-hander Jake Stevens has signed with Saltillo, of the Mexican League.

The Skeeters were able to sign Nix, 28, to a contract since the April 6 date had passed. That was the deadline Atlantic League teams had to retain players who finished the year with them last year. An instrumental piece for York in 2010 and 2011′s championship seasons, the-right-hander struck out the side in the ninth inning to clinch York’s first ever league title in 2010. That season, the former Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies prospect came over to York near the end of the year from the Newark Bears, where he went 4-2 with a 2.15 ERA and five saves in 42 appearances. Nix’s numbers dropped down last year, going 0-1 with a 4.08 ERA in 50 games. He did earn the closer’s role from R.J. Rodriguez mid-way through the year but Rodriguez later when the spot back. The Revs had been trying to work out a deal involving Nix with Sugar Land before April 6, but it appears those negotiations fell through.

Stevens, 27, was slated to start the year as a starter with the Revs. According to team officials, Stevens’s wife is pregnant. So, it makes more sense to play in the Mexican League, where the left-hander can make significantly more money. However, Stevens could still join York later in the year, since the Revs own his negotiating rights. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened between Stevens and the Revs. His name appeared in a Revolution news release in the spring of 2009 after he signed a contract to pitch in York following a year-long retirement from baseball, but the Baltimore Orioles came calling just days after he had signed with York, and Stevens spent the 2009 season in High Class A Frederick, pitching as a full-time reliever for the first time in his pro career.

With Saturday, the first day of York’s spring training, a few days away, the Revs still have time to make up for the hole left by Stevens. Even if that doesn’t happen, there is still the possibility right-handed starter Matt DeSalvo could join the team in early May if the team he’s playing for in Taiwan doesn’t extend his contract.

Other Atlantic League news: The league announced earlier this week that Frank Boulton, the league’s CEO and Long Island Ducks founder, has been selected by the Villanova University Alumni Association to receive the 2012 St. Thomas of Villanova Alumni Medal. For more details on the honor, click here.

The York Revolution shutout Bridgeport for the second straight game on Monday, defeating the Bluefish 6-0.

Coming into the game, the Revs had beaten the Bluefish on Sunday, 5-0.
Monday’s game was scoreless through three innings until York jumped out to a 4-0 lead with four runs in the top of the fourth inning.

York’s Vince Harrison and James Shanks started the inning with singles to put runners on first and third with no outs. Revs’ first baseman Mark Ori followed with an RBI ground out to drive in the first run of the game. Shanks later advanced to third base on an error and scored on a wild pitch to make the lead 2-0. York catcher Salvador Paniagua capped off the rally with a two-run home run to left-field, giving Paniagua his second homer in three games as York extended the lead to 4-0.

York scored all four of those runs off of starter Jorge Rodriguez (1-1), who was pulled after the fifth inning. Rodriguez gave up four runs, one earned, on seven hits.

Reliever Brad Furnish started off the sixth inning for Bridgeport by giving up a lead-off home run to York short stop Tanner Townsend, extending the Revs’ lead to 5-0.

The Revs added a run in the top of the ninth inning with an RBI double from outfielder Scott Grimes.

Furnish tossed the final four innings for the Bluefish (13-12), allowing four hits.
Revs’ starter Corey Thurman (2-2) picked up his second win of the season with a season-high six-inning performance with six strikeouts and one walk. He surrendered seven hits.
Relievers R.J. Rodriguez, Michael Nix and Scott Rice combined to toss the final three innings. Each reliever struck out two batters.

With the win, York improves to 13-10 on the season. It’s the club’s best start through 23 games.

York will next travel to Southern Maryland on Tuesday to open up a three-game series. Matt DeSalvo (1-1, 3.50 ERA) will get the start for the Revs on Tuesday. He will face Nick Green (2-1, 6.20 ERA). First pitch on Tuesday is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Game Notes: The Revs now lead the league with four shutouts, each of them coming in the last eight games. Monday marked only the second time in club history that York tossed base-to-back shutouts. The Revs now own a 2.39 ERA over the last nine games, with the starters posting a 1.71 ERA mark over that stretch.