Miners, Outlaws fight toward draw in Joplin

In a series that was closely followed by the Salem Cowtippers, who trailed the Joplin Miners by one game in the McGowan Division, the Flagstaff Outlaws and Miners hooked up in a series full of lots of offense.

Game 1: Sale v. Verlander – Buster Posey gets things started with a solo homer off of Chris Sale in the bottom of the first, to give the Miners an early 1-0 lead.

After a good first inning, Justin Verlander has a lapse of control, walking the first two batters in the second inning followed by an RBI single by Daniel Nava. Then Verlander uncorks a wild pitch to let Flagstaff score again. Chris Sale then doubled down the left field line, past catcher James McCann who was playing third for some reason, and Flagstaff takes a 3-1 lead.

In the third, Verlander gives up another walk and single and he’s inexplicable pulled. Chase Whitley trots out of the bullpen and shrugs when he gets to the mound. Whitley wiggles out of that jam, but he gives up a two-run double to Paul Goldschmidt in the fourth to push Flagstaff out to a 5-1 lead.

Up 6-1 in the eighth, Flagstaff tries to save some bullpen usage by letting Kirby Yates soak up an inning, but Chad Pinder cranks a two-run homer. Later in the inning, Carlos Santana knocks a smooth single off of Jake McGee that plates another Joplin run, pulling the Miners close at 6-4.

In the top of the ninth, Manny Pina blows the save situation with a two-run homer, so Sam Tuivailala is asked to get through the bottom of the ninth. But a double and a one-out walk forced Blake Parker to come on to make sure of things. A strikeout and fly ball later and Flagstaff takes the opener, 8-4.

W: Sale (11-3)
L: Verlander (7-5)
Sv: Parker (27)
HRs: FLG – Pina (5); JOP – Posey (4), Pinder (6).

Game 2: Greinke v. Kershaw – Paul Goldschmidt pops a two-run homer off of Clayton Kershaw in the top of the first to give the Outlaws a lead. One batter later, Kershaw leaves the game holding his elbow, shoulder and wrist, forcing Matt Garza into emergency duty. The Joplin fans were stunned, seeing their ace go down and knowing their team was facing 12-game winner Zack Greinke.

However, the Miners bat rose to the occasion. A Posey sac fly in the first was followed by another Pinder two-run homer in the second, and a Charlie Blackmon two-run bomb in the third to back Garza and get Joplin out front, 5-2.

RBI doubles from Posey and David Peralta in the fifth would end up putting the game away, allowing Garza to get the win with 5 1/3 innings of relief. Joplin 8, Flagstaff 3.

W: Garza (4-0)
L: Greinke (12-3)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – Goldschmidt (13); JOP – Pinder (7), Blackmon (21).

Game 3: Wood v. Tanaka – Flagstaff could solve Masahiro Tanaka as they would strike out ten times over six frames, while getting seven hits and a walk, but failing to the key hit to break through. Homers from Posey and Mike Napoli in the third inning would push the Miners out to a 4-0 lead that would be 4-1 when Tanaka left the game.

In the seventh, Flagstaff scratches a run together but Joplin answered with RBIs from Santana and McCann to make it 6-2.

In the eighth, Khris Davis launches a two-run blast to get the home fans a bit nervous, but Chris Devenski gets out of the inning without further damage.

Joplin adds on with a pair of runs in the 8th and ends up winning, 8-4.

W: Tanaka (4-5)
L: Wood (8-1)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – Pina (6), Davis (17); JOP – Posey (5), Napoli (7).

Game 4: Wacha v. Morton – The finale was back-and-forth affair, with four lead changes.

Goldy starts things off with an RBI single in the first, but David Peralta homers in the bottom of the frame to give Joplin a 2-1 lead.

Goldy adds another RBI knock in the third to tie it and Joe Panik’s RBI single in the fourth gave the Outlaws the lead. But Chad Pinder adds his third two-run home run of the series in the bottom of the fourth to give the Miners the lead again, 4-3.

Flagstaff scores three times in the fifth on run-scoring hits from Aaron Judge, Davis and Pina, to go back in front, 6-4.

But Peralta hits a RBI single in the fifth and Pinder pops another homer, finally just a solo homer, but that ties the game at 6-6 after six innings.

After Chase Whitley works around a double in the seventh, he is sent out to start the eighth with no Kimbrel in sight. Pina grounds out as Kimbrel gets up, but back-to-back doubles from pinch-hitter Lane Adams and Panik give Flagstaff the lead before Kimbrel can do anything.

That would be a key mistake because Jake McGee would work the eighth, getting a double-play to erase a walk, and Blake Parker pitched a perfect ninth and Flagstaff splits with the 7-6 victory.

W: Goody (6-1)
L: Whitely (1-1)
Sv: Parker (28)
HRs: FLG – none; JOP – Peralta (3), Pinder (8, 9).