Outlaws hover at .500, split with Darien

After 20 games, Flagstaff finds itself in second place in the Griffin Division but has continued to hover at .500 the whole time. With a series against the 3-17 Darien Blue Wave, the Outlaws were licking their chops at the chance for more wins, but ended up having to rally for a split.

Game 1: Wacha v. Miley – Darien gets the fireworks started early with back-to-back homers to start the bottom of the first from Jose Bautista and Eddie Rosario. In the third, Darien extends the lead with third-inning RBI double from A.J. Pollock.

Wade Miley cruised through five innings, but he walks the bases loaded starting the sixth. George Springer hits a fly by to deep enough right field to score one run. Hector Rondon relived Miley and gives up a Jonathan Villar RBI single, but Pollock throws out the trailing runner at third and Darien would get out of the inning with a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Darien has a runner on with two outs when all hell breaks loose. Ian Desmond hits a single that scores a run. Starlin Castro cranks a three-run homer and Darien breaks open the game at 7-2.

Kohl Stewart comes out of the pen and retires the next nine batters, earning the three-inning save and lets the Blue Wave open the series with the 7-2 decision.

W: Miley (1-1)
L: Wacha (1-3)
Sv: Stewart (1)
HRs: FLG – none; DBW – Bautista (2), E. Rosario (5), Castro (1).

Game 2: Chirinos v. Harvey – Both pitchers give their team five scoreless to start the game. Flagstaff gets the scoring started with a Paul Goldschmidt homer to start the sixth. But Darien responds with RBI from Matt Olson and Castro to take a 2-1 lead.

The score stays that way until the ninth when Flagstaff rallies to tie the game. Springer singles and Villar tries to sacrifice him over but Cody Allen is able to nail Springer at second. Villar responds by stealing second and going to third when Yan Gomes throw goes into center. Joe Panik hits a slow grounder to second base and Villar is able to slide under the play at the plate.

However, Gomes gets the last laugh as he walks off the Blue Wave with a two-run shot off of Joe Smith. Darien 4, South Loop 2.

W: Alexander (1-1)
L: Smith (1-1)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – Goldschmidt (6); DBW – none.

Game 3: Johnson v. Hernandez – The Blue Wave continues to hit, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first off of Brian Johnson, taking a 5-1 lead. Ian Desmond and Miguel Sano accounted for all the damage as each hit homers.

But after falling behind, the Outlaws began to chip away. Kevin Plawecki hits a sac fly in the fourth. Joe Panik and Eduardo Nunez each add RBI singles in the sixth to get the Outlaws within a run.

In the eighth, Sergio Romo loads the bases with no outs. Hecton Rondon relieves and gets one out, but he walks Andrelton Simmons to force in one run. Aaron Judge comes off the bench and delivers the go-ahead runs with a two-run double. Then Andrew Knapp adds an RBI groundout and Flagstaff holds an 8-5 lead.

Three Flagstaff relievers team up to get an out in the bottom of the eighth and the Ryan Pressly pitches a perfect ninth, and Flagstaff takes an 8-5 victory.

W: Arano (2-1)
L: Romo (0-1)
Sv: Pressly (9)
HRs: FLG – none; DBW – Desmond (3), Sano (2).

Game 4: Romero v. Gomber – Both teams score twice in the first inning as Villar hits a two-run double for Flagstaff while Olson cranks a two-run bomb for the Blue Wave.

In the middle innings, the teams trade two-run innings again, with Flagstaff getting RBI from Judge and Nunez in the fourth while Darien gets a two-run double from Bautista.

Then the zeroes pile up, going into extra innings. In the 11th, Flagstaff plays small ball, getting a leadoff single from Denard Span, seeing Simmons bunt the runner over, and then having Goldy contribute the go-ahead RBI single.

Pressly converts another perfect save situation and Flagstaff earns the split with a 5-4 win.