Flagstaff sweeps Los Altos for first time since 2005
It seems the Flagstaff Outlaws are taking twelve seasons of frustrations out on the Los Altos Undertakers all at one time. After winning just four series in a 57 matchups, the Outlaws followed up a series win last month with a dominating sweep, including an exciting walk-off in the finale.
Game 1: Gsellman v. Sale – Things started out well for Los Altos as Nolan Arenado clubs a two-run homer off of Chris Sale in the top of the first inning. But unfortunately, that’s as good as it gets for the Undertakers.
The fourth inning sees Travis Shaw reach with one out on a Arenado fielding miscue. Khris Davis follows with a triple and he trots home on a Caleb Joseph double, tying the game at 2-2.
George Springer leads off the fifth with his own triple and he scores on Elvis Andrus’s sac fly. Paul Goldschmidt follows with a single that chases Robert Gsellman. Wandy Peralta relieves and has to face Aaron Judge. Judge gets the better of the battle, cranking a two-run homer and giving Flagstaff a 5-2 lead.
After the rough start, Sale settles down. He ends up going seven while fanning 12 Undertakers, allowing just five hits and a walk. The Flagstaff bullpen does their matchup thing in the eighth and Blake Parker works around a walk to nail down the save in Flagstaff’s 5-2 victory.
W: Sale (8-2)
L: Gsellman (2-2)
Sv: Parker (19)
HRs: LAU – Arenado (9); FLG – Judge (16).
Game 2: Cole v. Greinke – Gerrit Cole must have misread the scheduled start time because the Flagstaff bats were ready and Cole wasn’t. 10 batters later, Flagstaff had a 5-0 lead.
Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Judge, who drew a run-scoring free pass. Travis Shaw and Khris Davis follow with back-to-back two-run doubles.
Zack Greinke had more than enough run support as he goes six innings, allowing just a solo bomb to Joc Pederson, while striking out seven.
Flagstaff 6, Los Altos 2.
W: Greinke (9-1)
L: Cole (0-6)
Sv: Tuivailala (1)
HRs: LAU – Pederson (3), Kipnis (2); FLG – none.
Game 3: Archer v. Wood – Aaron Judge gets Flagstaff on the board with a two-run homer in the first inning.
Los Altos gets traffic on the bases in five of Alex Wood’s six innings, but the clutch hit does not come for the Undertakers. The Flagstaff bullpen retires nine out of the ten batters they face and Flagstaff shuts out LA, 3-0.
W: Wood (7-0)
L: Archer (2-6)
Sv: Parker (20)
HRs: LAU – none; FLG – Judge (17).
Game 4: Roark v. Wacha – Tanner Roark and Michael Wacha locked horns in a pitching duel. Wacha holds the Undertakers to just three hits over seven innings while Roark scatters five hits and two walks over 5 1/3. However, one of those hits was an RBI double from Goldy and Flagstaff holds a 1-0 lead after seven innings.
To this point, Flagstaff is 31-0 when leading after seven innings, but Lucas Duda didn’t hear that while browsing the pre-game spread. Duda greets Jake McGee with a game-tying solo blast to start off the eighth.
Flagstaff nearly breaks the tie in the bottom of the inning when Dellin Betances plunks Andrus. Goldy follows with a double down the left field line and Andrus is waved home with just one out. The relay comes in and Andrus is surprised to be called out on Sandy Leon’s swipe tag.
In the ninth, Sam Tuivailala comes on with one out to face Arenado, but an Andrus bobble lets him reach. Eric Thames makes it count with a clutch double to give Los Altos their first lead and the home crowd moans when Kenley Jansen starts warming up for the save.
But Jansen gives up singles to Shaw and Davis to give the home crowd life. They erupt when Jansen is called for a surprise balk while facing pinch-hitter Lane Adams, putting the winning run in scoring position. Adams would strike out and Nava would come out to pinch hit for the pitcher’s spot. Jansen puts up four fingers to load the bases, but set up a double play. But Joe Panik lines a ball off the right field wall, over Shin-Soo Choo’s head, and Flagstaff walks off with the sweep, 3-2.
W: Tuivailala (1-2)
L: Jansen (2-2)
Sv: None
HRs: LAU – Duda (9); FLG – none.