Flagstaff stays hot, shuts down Hitmen
The Flagstaff Outlaws takes their charter flights out to Myrtle Beach and the bats looked to try and get hot, but it continues to be the pitching and defense that paces this Outlaw team.
Game 1: Sale v. Cashner – One start after striking out 14, Chris Sale throws up double-digit strikeouts in the opener, notching 11 over six innings of work. Sale leaves the game up 2-1 with only blemish coming on fifth inning doubles from Dustin Garneau and Didi Gregorius.
Andrew Cashner didn’t pitch as spectacularly, allowing just as many baserunners as Sale, but two of those baserunners trotted around the bases courtesy of the long ball as Khris Davis and Travis Shaw dial long distance.
The bullpen executes, walking just three batters, but Myrtle Beach can’t get a hit to do anything with them and Flagstaff takes the opener, 3-1.
W: Sale (4-1)
L: Cashner (0-3)
Sv: Parker (9)
HRs: FLG – Davis (6), Shaw (3); MBH – none.
Game 2: Greinke v. Pomeranz – Flagstaff strings together three singles in the first inning to push across the first tally of the game.
But that is all the momentum Flagstaff has as the Hitmen unleash their secret weapon: Daniel Descalso. Descalso crushes two-run homers in the fourth and sixth innings off of Zack Greinke and Myrtle Beach enjoys their first lead of the series, 4-1.
A struggling Elvis Andrus hits a solo shot to start the eighth to draw Flagstaff closer, but George Kontos and Chasen Shreve record the final six outs and Myrtle Beach evens the series, 4-2.
W: Pomeranz (2-2)
L: Greinke (3-1)
Sv: Shreve (1)
HRs: FLG – Andrus (2); MBH – Descalso (1, 2).
Game 3: Wood v. Lackey – John Lackey spent two different three-year stints with the Outlaws, so was pretty familiar with Flagstaff’s players. That experience paid off as he allows four hits and one walk over six frames. However, two of those hits cross the plate.
Davis homers fro Flagstaff in the second. In the seventh, a tiring Lackey plunks Davis and he’d eventually score on a RBI single from George Springer.
Alex Wood was in trouble in the first, giving up three singles, but Aaron Judge puts the gavel on the rally, nailing the speedy Gregorius at the plate for the second out. Wood strikes out Danny Valencia to end the threat.
Wood continues to give up hits over the next four innings, but a double play and some timely strikeouts keep the Hitmen off the pay station.
To keep up the theme, the Flagstaff bullpen is shaky as well, giving up a pair of runners in both the seventh and eighth. In fact, Blake Parker has to get the final out of the eighth to go for a four-out save.
Parker would walk the leadoff batter, but would get the final outs and Flagstaff shuts out the Hitmen, 2-0.
W: Wood (4-0)
L: Lackey (2-1)
Sv: Parker (10)
HRs: FLG – Davis (7); MBH – none.
Game 4: Ramirez v. Montgomery – Elvis Andrus and George Springer go back-to-back in the third inning to open the scoring, 2-0 Flagstaff. In the fifth, Springer hits another solo jack and it’s 3-0 Outlaws.
J.C. Ramirez allows just two hits over six innings while striking out 10 Hitmen, but in the seventh, Descalso ruins the shut out with an RBI double to drive in Nick Williams, who doubled to start the inning.
In the ninth, Caleb Joseph comes off the bench to hit a two-run homer off of a tiring Shreve to take the save situation off the table for Flagstaff. Sam Tuivailala comes in to get the final three outs, and allows a solo homer to Williams. But ultimately gets the three fly balls that ends the game and gives his team a series win with a 5-2 decision for the Outlaws.
W: Ramirez (2-0)
L: Montgomery (1-2)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – Andrus (3), Springer (7, 8), Joseph (2); MBH – Williams (4).