Given the length of a baseball season, success is often cyclical.

Things were going much better for the York Revolution merely two weeks ago, when they landed Dave Gassner.

York had just won five of its first six home games of the season. Offseason acquisitions aimed at providing a powerful pop to the line-up were beginning to produce. A series sweep of Long Island vaulted the Revolution to the top of the Atlantic League's Freedom Division.

Morale seemed high.

What a difference two weeks can make.

The wheels suddenly fell off as the Revs slipped from the top spot to a tie with Lancaster for last place. Losers of 10 of their last 12, things just weren't going the way everyone expected coming into the season.

The big bats bailed on the cellar dwellers, as York's team average dropped to an Atlantic League worst .219 in the days since May 5.

Things came so unglued that manager Chris Hoiles conducted a closed-door meeting with his squad and refused to talk with the media after the Barnstormers pounded York 12-2 Friday night.

All the while, Gassner has been one of the lone bright spots for the Revs during these terrible times.

Gassner gave York five scoreless innings in a no-decision during his first start May 3, which came less than 24 hours after his arrival in York. He followed that up with a solid seven-inning, five-strikeout performance in a 2-1 loss at Somerset on May 8.

Gassner was last seen twirling a gem in York's 6-1 victory over the Newark

Despite recent team troubles, Hoiles has been pleased by what he's seen from Gassner.

"He's gone out and done his job well each and every start since we got him," said Hoiles. "There's nothing more we could ask of him. He pitches a heck of a game and he's fun to watch."

True to form, the southpaw gave another good outing Sunday. Gassner pitched seven strong and struck out four while gathering the no decision. Had it not been for back-to-back homers by the Barnstomers' Ian Bladergroen and Visili Spanos in the bottom of the second, Gassner's dazzling performance would have easily earned him a win.

Hoiles' mound artillery this year also features another prominent lefty, Wayne Franklin.

Combined, Gassner and Franklin have started six of the Revs' eight victories this year. The two have been shutdown hurlers for York, with Franklin sporting a perfect 3-0 record while Gassner's ERA is among league leaders. Entering his appearance Sunday, Gassner sported a stellar 1.35 earned-run average, the third lowest in the Atlantic League.

Entering the season, many thought the success of the Revolution would hinge on their prowess at the plate. However, this year is looking more and more like wins will be earned on the hill instead of in the box, a notion Hoiles has held all along.

"We knew what we had on the mound was our biggest thing coming in," Hoiles said. "The pitching I have no problems with at all. They've kept us in games that our bats just couldn't win."

The offense is sure to come around, as the team almost certainly will not bat .219 the rest of the way. When it does, Hoiles and company can rest assured they've already got the arms they need to do some damage.

This current installment of the York Revolution has plenty of the magic cure-all for being on this side of the success cycle -- time.