Outlaws new Lightning owner with sweep
Anytime there is a surprising change of ownership to a BDBL franchise, there is always a period of transitioning for everyone involved. Last night Mike Reis got to take his new team out for a spin, but unfortunately, we had to take on the Flagstaff Outlaws who gave them a rude welcome.
Game 1: Zimmerman v. Wacha – Jordan Zimmerman made his season debut for the Lightning in this one pitched very well, going six frames allowing six hits and four walks and left with his team up 3-0. Eddie Rosario’s homer off of Ryan Bucther in the eighth pushed that lead to 4-0 before the wheels fell off.
Brandon Workman pitched well in the seventh, but he allows a solo homer to Travis Shaw in the eighth, followed by a pair of singles before being yanked. Alec Asher was greeted by Daniel Nava’s triple and Flagstaff claws back within a run.
In the ninth, Scott Alexander is tasked to close the game out, but immediately gets into trouble, allowing a pair of singles. After coaxing Enrique Hernandez to fly out to left, Alexander walked Khris Davis. Manny Pina cracks one back to Alexander that he can’t field cleanly and is forced to go to first to get the out, allowing the tying run to score. Yunel Escobar pinch hit but was intentionally walked to set up outs at each station, but Joe Panik is able to squeeze a grounder between third and short and the Outlaws walk off, 5-4.
W: Tuivailala (4-2)
L: Alexander (2-4)
Sv: None
HRs: GSL – E. Rosario (13); FLG – Shaw (9).
Game 2: Miley v. Ramirez – Both teams trade runs early and Eddie Rosario hits a 2-run homer in the top of the 6th to give Granite State a 3-1 lead.
Wade Miley kepts Flagstaff in check over six innings, allowing just six baserunners to be in line for the win. But it’s another shaky bullpen effort that dooms Miley.
Matt Cain relieves Miley in the seventh and ends up allowing three straight hits, including an RBI double from Panik. George Springer is walked intentionally and Elvis Andrus makes Cain pay with a two-run single. Travis Shaw, who replaced an injured Paul Goldschmidt in the lineup, then singled in another run.
Asher comes on and gets a double play, but another run was able to score. Davis caps the seven-run outburst with a two-run homer to the delight of the home crowd. Flagstaff 8, Granite State 3.
W: Bucther (2-1)
L: Cain (1-4)
Sv: None
HRs: GSL – E. Rosario (14); FLG – Davis (22).
Game 3: Cain v. Wood – A night after 23 pitches in relief, Matt Cain goes to the hill as the starter. Aaron Judge greets Cain with a two-run homer in the first inning.
However, Granite State fires back in the top of the second. Amed Rosario follows a Miguel Sano double with a home run that ties the game. Later in the frame, Josh Harrison singles in Cameron Maybin to give the Lightning a 3-2 lead.
Travis Shaw then starts to put his influence into this game. He hits a deep fly ball to score Andrus, who started the third with a triple, tying the game. In the fourth, Flagstaff had already taken the lead with a Panik RBI double, Shaw cranks a 3-run homer to put Flagstaff up 8-3.
In the seventh, Alex Wood is trying to get through the seventh, but runs into a wall, eventually loading the bases for Austin Romine who clears them with a double to bring the Lightning with two runs.
But from that point, the Outlaw bullpen manages to keep the Lightning off the scoreboard, benefitting from a couple more insurance runs, and Flagstaff wins, 10-6.
Alex Wood earned his 10th victory, despite a horrible effort, allowing 12 hits and four walks over 6 2/3 innings of work. He was charged with all six runs, five of them earned.
W: Wood (10-2)
L: Cain (1-5)
Sv: None
HRs: GSL – A. Rosario (1); FLG – Judge (24), Shaw (10), Davis (23).
Game 4: Volquez v. Greinke – On a roll, the Flagstaff offense continued to pummel Lightning pitching. Josh Harrison gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead in the third with a solo HR, but the Outlaws countered with a four-spot, thanks to a pair of errors that allowed runs to score.
Brandon Moss hits a two-run homer in the fourth to pull Granite State within one, but Volquez allows the first three batters to reach, loading the bases for Caleb Joseph, who cranks a grand slam to highlight a five-run inning, giving the home crowd a 9-3 lead.
Flagstaff would complete the sweep with the 10-4 decision.
W: Greinke (14-3)
L: Volquez (1-2)
Sv: None
HRs: GSL – Harrison (8), Moss (9), Sano (26); FLG – Judge (25), Joseph (5).