Outlaws advance to OLCS behind Judge, Sale
As the series shifts to South Loop, Flagstaff looks to close out the Furies after taking the first two games at home.
Game 3: Alex Wood v. Ryun-Jin Ryu – Flagstaff completely ambushes Hyun-Jin Ryu in this one. Singles from George Springer and Joe Panik followed by a Paul Goldschmidt walk loaded the bases before the Furies fans could find their seats after the opening ceremonies.
Aaron Judge would go the other way, doubling into the right-field corner to score a pair. Enrique Hernandez followed with a walk to re-load the bases. Khris Davis singles to score one, while Manny Pina followed with a double to score two more.
In what is always a fun experience for a visiting pitcher, Alex Wood gets to bat before even throwing his first pitch and ends up striking out for the first out. Elvis Andrus hits a ball to deep right that sacrifices in another run. The Outlaws bat around when Springer gets his second at-bat of the inning, but grounds out to end the inning. All totaled, Flagstaff scored six times.
With that sort of advantage, Alex Wood was able to settle down and focus on just getting outs and he did just that over the first four innings, walking just one batter in that span while getting all twelve outs.
In the fifth, Asdrubal Cabrera notches the first hit of the game for South Loop, singling up the middle to end any thoughts of a no-hitter. Leury Garcia follows with a double that pushes Cabrera to third. Mike Zunino struck out and Nicky Delmonico grounded out to short, letting Cabrera tally the first run for South Loop. Tommy Joseph hits from Ryu, ending his night, and grounds out to end the threat.
In the seventh, with Flagstaff up 7-1, the Outlaws put together another big inning. Aaron Judge start things off with a solo homer. An error from Nick Castellanos lets Hernandez reach. Khris Davis flew out. Wood executes a sac bunt to move Hernandez up. Andrus singled down the right-field line to score Hernandez. Springer doubled in Andrus and then scored on Panik’s single. Flagstaff holds a 12-1 lead.
Wood pitches the seventh and finishes his night with four hits and a walk over than span, striking out six. Flagstaff takes a commanding 3-0 series lead with a 12-3 victory.
W: Wood (1-0)
L: Ryu (0-1)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – Panik (1), Judge (2); SLF – none.
Game 4: Wacha v. Dickey – Word out of the Outlaw locker room is that Chris Sale asks to pitch this one, feeling well enough after throwing just 89 pitchers in the series opener. But with a big series lead, Flagstaff decides to stick with the schedule and start Michael Wacha.
The biggest news is that R.A. Dickey becomes the first pitcher to keep Flagstaff off the board in the first inning, although he did have runners on second and third with two outs.
Jorge Polanco gets the scoring started with an RBI double in the bottom of the second, giving the Furies their first lead of the series. Flagstaff answers back with their own RBI double from Khris Davis in the top of the third to tie the game.
In the bottom of the fourth, Rene Rivera steps to the place against Wacha and cranks a two-run homer to put South Loop up, 3-1. A half-inning later, Flagstaff again answers with their own two-run shot, this time from Judge, to re-tie the game.
In the bottom of the fifth, Lorenzo Cain pops a solo shot to put South Loop back out of top, 4-3.
But Flagstaff can’t answer from this point on. Dickey works into the sixth, before giving way to his bullpen which works around some traffic on the bases, but doesn’t allow any momentum from Flagstaff.
South Loop tacks on some insurance runs late on a solo homer from Eric Young in the seventh and a RBI single from Nicky Delmonico in the eighth.
The ninth sees closer Carl Edwards step in, in front of a raucous Furies crowd, and mows down the side to secure the Furies victory, 6-3.
W: Dickey (1-1)
L: Wacha (0-1)
Sv: Edwards (1)
HRs: FLG – Judge (3); SLF – Rivera (1), Cain (1), Young (1).
Game 5: Sale v. Nelson – In a rematch of Game 1 starters, fans are treated to an amazing effort from both starters. Each man goes seven innings with Sale striking out 10 while allowing four hits and walk while Nelson struck out seven and limiting Flagstaff to three hits and a walk.
Tony Zych is perfect in the eighth, but when he started the ninth, he loses control of a fastball that drills George Springer in the ribs. Andrew Chafin relieves Zych to face Joe Panik, but Flagstaff brings out lefty-killer Enrique Hernandez. But Chafin gets him on strikes.
Alex Colome relieves Chafin to face the big righties and Paul Goldschimdt responds with a big double to the right-center gap. Lorenzo Cain throws home, but Springer is able to beat the throw and breaks the scoring drought. Judge steps up, but grounds out, allowing Goldy to move to third. Khris Davis comes up and hit a tough grounder to short, but Asdrubal Cabrera boots it and Goldy scores to double the lead to 2-0. Travis Shaw grounds out to end the inning.
That sets the stage for Outlaws closer Blake Parker. He gets Mike Zunino to ground out, but then ramps up and gets Castellanos and Eduardo Nunez to strike out, giving the Outlaws a 2-0 shutout and clinching the series victory for Flagstaff.
W: Albers (1-0)
L: Zych (0-1)
Sv: Parker (2)
HRs: FLG – none; SLF – none.