Flagstaff snaps skid against Kansas City
Flagstaff has been a house of horrors since the last ownership change with the Kansas City Boulevards franchise. As the Outlaws limp into the series with a nine-game losing streak, they welcomed the Boulevards to Purina Park with open arms.
Game 1: Chacin v. Wacha – Wanting to get the losing streak over quickly, Flagstaff jumps all over Jhoulys Chacin. George Springer doubled in two and scored on Joe Panik’s RBI single two batters later and the Outlaws lead, 3-0. They add an RBI single in third by Jonathan Villar to make it a 4-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Michael Wacha was dealing. He retired the first 12 batters he faced until Edwin Encarnacion started the fifth with a single. But everything get spoiled in the sixth when Kansas City takes advantage of a moment of weakness from Wacha.
Lonnie Chisenhall singled for Chacin. Then with one out, Wacha walks Daniel Robertson and Christian Yelich. Marcell Ozuna ties it up with a grand slam deep into the left field bleachers.
Daniel Mengden relieves Chacin but immediately gives it all back. Panik starts the frame with a homer. Two batters later, Derek Fisher came off the bench to homer. Two batters after that, Denard Span pops a two-run bomb. Then back-to-back doubles from Paul Goldschmidt and Aaron Judge makes it five runs and chases Mengden. Heath Hembree comes in and wiggles out of any further trouble.
From there, Flagstaff moves to their mopup relievers and who team up for just two hits over the final three frames and Flagstaff gets back on the winning side of the ledger with a 9-4 result.
W: Wacha (4-6)
L: Mengden (3-2)
Sv: None
HRs: KCB – Ozuna (); FLG – Panik (2), Fisher (3), Span (3).
Game 2: Leake v. Chirinos – After an offensive outburst, the Outlaws and Boulevards lock into a pitcher’s duel.
Span reaches on an error by the shortstop with one out in the first. Singles by Goldy and Judge push Span across the paystation for a 1-0 lead.
In the fifth, speedster Dee Gordon triples in Jonathan LuCroy and probably could have scored had there been a faster runner in front of him. But it’s good enough to tie the game.
Mike Leake goes 7 2/3 while Chirinos goes 7 and the score stays 1-1 into the ninth.
Joe Kelly starts the ninth after getting the final out of the eighth and gives up a leadoff single to Springer. Sensing the chance to win the game, Villar is asked to sacrifice Springer over and he is able to execute it. Wander Suero comes in for Kelly and strikes out Eduardo Nunez for the second out. Kevin Plawecki dumps a ball into right field and with two Springer was running on contact and easily scores, walking off the game. Flagstaff 2, Kansas City 1.
W: O’Day (2-0)
L: Kelly (0-1)
Sv: None
HRs: KCB – none; FLG – none.
Game 3: Velasquez v. Johnson – This one is scoreless into the fifth. The Outlaws get one runner thrown out at the plate for the second out of the bottom of five. But Andrelton Simmons and Span follow with RBI singles to give Flagstaff a 2-0 advantage.
That lead doesn’t last for Brian Johnson as he puts runners on the corners with one out. Christian Yelich grounds to short, but the Outlaw defense can’t turn it as they can only get the out at first, scoring Vincent Velasquez. That lack of a double play hurts as the Encarnacion follows with a two-run bomb and KC takes a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Joe Kelly is on to relieve Velasquez and is not effective. Back-to-back singles start trouble and Span triples both runs in to give the Outlaws the lead back. Goldy follows with a deep enough fly ball to left to score Span and give the Outlaws their two-run lead back.
That extra run would be critical as Ryan Pressly gives up a lead off homer to Yelich. Then Encarnacion singles and gets to second on a wild pitch. Evan Longoria flies out for the first out. Hernan Perez singles to center and the Boulevards third base coach sends Encarnacion. Springer charges and fires a strike home that just nails the tying run, with Perez getting to second. Lucroy follows with a single to right and Perez is waved home. Judge saw what Springer did and decided to try his own throw and nails Perez. Flagstaff 5, Kansas City 4.
W: Johnson (3-6)
L: Kelly (0-2)
Sv: Pressly (15)
HRs: KCB – Encarnacion (14), Yelich (10); FLG – none.
Game 4: Happ v. Tropeano – Sensing a sweep, Flagstaff sends Nick Tropeano to the hill but he immediately gets behind the eight ball. Encarnacion and Max Kelper team up for back-to-back jacks, scoring three runs. Villar pops a solo homer in the third to get the Outlaws on the board.
The score would stay at 3-1 until the eighth. Suero starts the frame but gives up a single to Simmons and a double to Goldy, scoring Simmons. Judge singles Goldy to third. Springer flies out to short center for the first out. Jordan Luplow hits a slow chopper to second and Goldy breaks for the plate. The throw homes isn’t in time and the game is tied. Suero gets the final two outs on strikeouts but the damage was done.
The score stays at 3-3 into extras and the Boulevards break through in the 12th inning. Joe Smith starts the inning and loads the bases on the first three batters. Smith gets Gordon on strikes for the first out. Chisenhall comes off the bench and grounds out to short, but the Outlaw middle infield can’t make the turn, scoring the go-ahead run. Perez adds another RBI on a single and Kansas City takes a 5-3 lead.
Kelly is called on again and is still shaky. Goldy walks, Judge strikes out. Springer singles and Luplow walks to load the bases. Plawecki grounds to Encarnacion at first who throws home for the second out. Nunez flies out to end the rally and Kansas City staves off a sweep with a 5-3 extra-inning affair.
W: Mengden (4-2)
L: Smith (1-2)
Sv: Kelly (1)
HRs: KCB – Encarnacion (15), Kepler (4); FLG – Villar (5).