Outlaws manhandle Locks

Continuing their 2019 jaunt through the Eck League schedule, the Flagstaff Outlaws took on the Niagara Locks and managed to win another series, giving them an 8-4 advantage in interleague play.

Game 1: Richard v. Wood – This one is scoreless through four innings when Alex Wood helps his own cause, slapping a two-out RBI single to score Kevin Plawecki.

Niagara gets the run right back on a Renato Nunez solo homer to start the sixth. Nunez then adds a two-run double off of Joe Smith in the seventh to give the Locks a 3-1 advantage.

Flagstaff chips away, getting an Eduardo Nunez RBI groundout in the seventh followed by a George Springer RBI single in the eighth to tie the game at 3-3. Flagstaff gets two runners on in the ninth, but Archie Bradley manages to wiggle off the hook to put the game into extra innings.

In the tenth, Ryan Pressly was called upon in a non-save situation and doesn’t excel, giving up a run-scoring sac fly to Domingo Santana and RBI single by Kevin Pillar to take a 5-3 lead.

Cam Bedrosian comes on and works around a two-out single to lock down the Locks 5-3 victory.

W: Bradley (2-3)
L: Pressly (0-3)
Sv: Bedrosian (1)
HRs: FLG – none; NIA – Nunez (3).

Game 2: Boyd v. Johnson – Renato Nunez continues to assault Flagstaff pitching, cranking two more homers in the first three innings. Luckily for the Outlaws, George Springer adds a couple of run-scoring outs in that same period to help keep the game tied at 3-3 after three innings of play.

Jonathan Villar hits a solo homer in the fourth to give the Outlaws a lead that they would not relinquish. Flagstaff adds late, including a Goldschmidt homer and ends up winning, 9-3.

W: Johnson (4-7)
L: Boyd (4-4)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – Villar (7), Goldschmidt (12); NIA – Nunez 2 (4, 5).

Game 3: Richards v. Gibson – Trevor Richards and Kyle Gibson duel with Flagstaff taking a 3-1 lead thanks in part to three different Locks throwing errors which let runs score.

The game stays that was into the ninth, when someone let loose a ton of fireworks. Flagstaff ends up putting a five-spot thanks to a two-run smash from Aaron Judge, an RBI single from Jarrod Dyson, and then a two-run double from Shane Greene who had just managed to keep the Locks off the bases in the eighth, setting up for a tired Joe Smith.

With a 8-1 lead, Greene is allowed to pitch the ninth to save the bullpen, but that plan goes south quickly. Three straight singles chase Greene and bring in Luis Cessa. Cessa gets an out on a sac fly from Kevan Smith. But Jurickson Profar hits a double to score another run. Xander Bogaerts follows with a three-ran jack to get the Niagara fans on their feet.

Ryan Pressly is called one to try and keep the two-run lead safe and he strikes out Joey Gallo for the second out. But a walk to Nunez followed by a ball-four wild pitch to Jason Heyward put both runners in scoring position. Yandy Diaz steps and singles in a run, but Heyward was held at third.

That decision would be costly as Kevin Pillar flied out to end the game and Flagstaff escapes with a 8-7 victory.

W: Richards (2-1)
L: Gibson (0-14)
Sv: Pressly (17)
HRs: FLG – Judge (14); NIA – Bogaerts (10).

Game 4: Tropeano v. Skaggs – A tired Locks bullpen see a close game get broken open in the seventh inning when Paul Goldschmidt’s grand slam turns a 3-1 affair into a 7-1 rout.

Goldy would add another two-run single in the eighth and Flagstaff wins the series with a 10-2 blowout victory.

W: Tropeano (2-3)
L: Skaggs (1-9)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – Goldschmidt (13), Dyson (2); NIA – Mondesi (5).