Outlaws finish Chapter 4 with series win over Hitmen

After getting off to a 13-3 start, the Outlaws hit a pothole in the form of the South Loop Furies. The Outlaws looked to rebound against a rebuilding Myrtle Beach Hitmen squad.

Game 1: Ramirez v. Lackey – J.C. Ramirez puts up his best start since he threw seven shutout innings against Raveswood back in April. Seven innings, nine strikeouts, four hits and no walks. John Lackey steps into the wayback machine and matches Ramirez with 7 1/3 innings, seven strikeouts, four hits, no walks. Each pitcher gave up a solo homer in their effort.

In the eighth, Travis Shaw doubles to start things off. Caleb Joseph grounds out, moving Shaw to third. Michael Givens relives Lackey and induces Lane Adams to hit a chopper to third. Shaw breaks for home and Danny Valencia guns him down.

In the bottom of the ninth, Bryan Shaw gets the first two outs. A seemingly innocuous walk to Jesus Sucre brings up Valencia who drives one in the right-field gap. George Springer sprints and lays out and… can’t catch it. Sucre motors home and the Hitmen walk off, 2-1.

W: O’Day (1-1)
L: Shaw (3-3)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – Judge (26); MBH – Parra (10).

Game 2: Wood v. Jimenez – Both teams score in the first. In the third, three singles give the Outlaws a 2-1 lead with runners on the corners when lightning strikes, literally. The power at Keystone Park drops out due to a power outage. Engineer scramble to restore power so that the game can continue.

After about a 15 minutes delay, the teams re-take the field. Travis Shaw steps to the plate and cranks a three-run homer to give the Outlaws some breathing room, 5-1.

Jesus Sucre doubles in a run in the bottom of the fourth, but Khris Davis pops another three-run homer for Flagstaff, giving the Outlaws an 8-2 advantage.

From there, things settle down, but the Hitmen can’t rally enough and Flagstaff ends up winning, 10-4.

W: Wood (11-2)
L: Jimenez (0-1)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – Shaw (11), Davis (26, 27); MBH – none.

Game 3: Montgomery v. Greinke – In the third, Kendry Morales’s error with runners on the corners to give the Outlaws their first run. That run gets backed up by solo homers from Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt.

The score stays 3-0 into the eighth when Myrtle Beach gets a triple from Jose Osuna to start the inning for some life. Osuna would later score on a Tim Beckham single, but Bryan Shaw and Nick Goody limit the damage to just that.

Flagstaff gets that run back on a Travis Shaw RBI double and Blake Parker easily converts the three-run save with a perfect ninth. Flagstaff 4, Myrtle Beach 1.

W: Greinke (15-4)
L: Montgomery (5-7)
Sv: Parker (35)
HRs: MBH – none; FLG – Judge (27), Goldschmidt (16).

Game 4: Pomeranz v. Sale – Both starters lock up in an absolute duel in the series finale. Drew Pomeranz pitches 6 2/3 innings of three-hit ball. Chris Sale ended up going eight innings, striking out 12 while allowing just four hits and a walk.

In the bottom of the ninth, Darren O’Day relives for Myrtle Beach, but Joe Panik deposits fourth pitch into the right field seats, giving the Outlaws a 1-0 victory and the series win.

W: Buchter (3-1)
L: O’Day (1-2)
Sv: None
HRs: MBH – none; FLG – Panik (5).