Las Vegas victimizes Outlaws with longballs to split
The Las Vegas Flamingos have done one thing well all season, they hit home runs. They ended up blasting thirteen homers against the Flagstaff Outlaws, including eight in the final two games to earn something no team has done all season, split with the Outlaws.
Game 1: Straily v. Sale – As good as Chris Sale has been for Flagstaff all season, Andrew McCutchen and Mark Reynolds had no fear in facing him. Each Flamingo slugger popped a pair of homers in the their first two at bats to push Vegas to a 5-2 lead after the top of the fourth.
Back-to-back RBI doubles off of the Purina Park center field wall by George Springer and Elvis Andrus in the bottom of the fourth closes the gap to 5-4.
In the seventh, the Outlaws get Sale off the hook for the loss when Khris Davis send a ball to deep center field that is caught, but allows Paul Goldschmidt to tag up and score.
In the bottom of the ninth, Gregory Infante comes in to try and force the game into extra innings, but Goldschmidt takes Infante first pitch over the train tracks in left field to walk the Outlaws off, 6-5.
W: Tuivailala (2-2)
L: Infante (2-1)
Sv: None
HRs: LVF – McCutchen (10, 11), Reynolds (10, 11); FLG – Springer (15), Goldschmidt (9).
Game 2: Urena v. Greinke – The Outlaws managed to keep the Flamingos in the yard until the game was in control and Flagstaff holds on for a 7-4 victory.
Jose Urena puts two runners on in the third inning and Goldy continues his hot streak by doubling in both runners and then scoring on Aaron Judge’s triple to give the Outlaws a 3-0 lead.
Fast forward to the sixth and Zach Greinke had given up just a lone single to Urena back in the third, but the cart gets a bit shaky. A lead-off walk to Todd Frazier and followed by a Curtis Granderson triple to get Vegas on the board. Then McCutchen doubles in Granderson. But Greinke is able to strand the tying run at third and hands a 3-2 lead over to the bullpen.
In the seventh, Urena tires, giving up back-to-back single to start the frame. Ryan Pressley comes in for relief, but Joe Panik singles to plate a run. Springer walks. Andrus grounds into a run-scoring double play to help ease the pressure a bit, but Goldy homers to end a four-run frame, giving Flagstaff a 7-2 advantage.
McCutchen would launch a two-run homer in the eighth off of Pedro Baez that would end up giving Blake Parker a save situation. The closer rolls out three ground balls to shortstop and Flagstaff holds on.
W: Greinke (10-1)
L: Urena (4-3)
Sv: Parker (21)
HRs: LVF – McCutchen (12); FLG – Goldschmidt (10).
Game 3: Nova v. McHugh – Flagstaff decides to skip Alex Wood this time through the rotation and Vegas erupts. Six different Flamingo batters homer in this one as Vegas cruises to an easy 10-2 victory.
The key was Ivan Nova figuring out how to scatter seven hits and three walks over his six-plus innings of work while his bats battered Collin McHugh who was tagged for seven runs.
W: Nova (5-2)
L: McHugh (0-2)
Sv: None
HRs: LVF – Mancini (9), Dietrich (3), Castillo (7), Granderson (14), Lindor (9), Reynolds (12); FLG – none.
Game 4: Mejia v. Wacha – McCutchen hits his fourth homer of the series in the top of the first, followed by Francisco Lindor’s second in as many games to give Vegas a 2-0 lead that would end up being our final score in this one.
Adalberto Mejia limits the Outlaws to a single and a walk over the first six innings. Craig Stammen would follow with two innings of relief, getting a pair of double plays to quickly end any Flagstaff rallies. Steve Cishek would close it out, working around a single himself.
W: Mejia (2-1)
L: Wacha (3-1)
Sv: Cishek (12)
HRs: LVF – McCutchen (13), Lindor (10); FLG – none.