Flagstaff drops three to Joplin
Flagstaff and Joplin reacquaint themselves as Joplin continues to lead the Ozzie League Wild Card race while Flagstaff continues to meander just south of .500.
Game 1: Wood v. Sale – Chris Sale got a hearty introduction and welcome from Flagstaff faithful in recognition of his record-setting season last year. But when the game started, Sale put it to his old team, throwing six innings of two-hit ball.
Joplin puts this game out of reach early to back Sale. Already up 1-0 after one, the Miners put up a five-spot with Freddie Freeman’s three-run double being the key blow.
Jopin cruises to a shut-out, 8-0.
W: Sale (11-5)
L: Wood (4-4)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – none; JPM – none.
Game 2: Musgrove v. Ryu – Leading 2-0, the Outlaws break this game open with the heart of their lineup in the fifth inning. Paul Godschmidt hits a two-run triple and later scores an Aaron Judge’s single to make it 5-0.
That would be enough for Joe Musgrove, who ended up pitching seven innings of three-hit ball, allowing a lone Miner run.
Flagstaff evens the series, 6-1.
W: Musgrove (1-2)
L: Ryu (2-2)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – none ; JPM – none.
Game 3: Erlin v. Morton – The one is scoreless through six frames. Joplin gets an RBI groundout in the seventh from David Peralta while Flagstaff answers with a George Springer RBI single in the eighth.
In extra, Flagstaff is forced to stretch closer Ryan Pressly out and in his third inning of work. Rossell Herrera drives in the winning run and the Miners walk off, 2-1.
W: Tanaka (8-4)
L: Pressly (1-4)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – none; JPM – none.
Game 4: Richards v. Gonzalez – Gio Gonzalez bookends the series, matching Chris Sale’s six innings of shut out ball as Joplin blanks the Outlaws, 6-0.
Freeman once again does big damage driving in the first two runs for the Miners on RBI hits in the first and third innings. Ender Inciarte caps the scoring with a two-run homer, the first home run by either team in this series and Inciarte’s first of the year.
W: Gonzalez (6-11)
L: Richards (4-5)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – none; JPM – Inciarte (1).