Outlaws split with first-place Cowtippers
A potential playoff matchup presents itself as the first-place Salem Cowtippers travel to Flagstaff to take on the Outlaws in a split-series. Salem has managed to overtake the Joplin Miners in the McGowan Division by a single game and looks to keep things going against a tough Outlaw squad.
Game 1: Strasburg v. Wood – The much maligned Stephen Strasburg takes the hill for Salem against Alex Wood. Both pitchers are lights out. Strasburg retires the first nine batters he sees. In the fourth, he plunks George Springer to start the frame. After an Elvis Andrus strikeout, Paul Goldschmidt doubles Springers to third. With Aaron Judge due up, Salem manager holds out four fingers to put Judge on. The gamble pays off as Strasburg K’s Khris Davis and gets Shaw to ground out to strand all three runners. Strasburg would end up going six scoreless, allowing a pair of runs and a pair of walks while striking out six.
Alex Wood was just as good for nearly as long. He also retires the first nine he faces, but he can’t handle the return throw from Goldy on Ichiro Suzuki’s grounder to allow him to reach. However, Jose Ramirez lines into a double play to Joe Panik who nabs Suzuki breaking too far off the bag. Wood would continue to get outs until there are two outs in the sixth.
Eric Sogard pinch hit for Strasburg and manages to trickle a grounder through the 5.5 hole. Then Suzuki lines one through the same hole to put runners on the corners. Ramirez cranks a 2-2 pitch down the left-field line for a three-run homer, ruining Wood’s start.
The score is still 3-0 in the eighth when Elvis Andrus ties the game with a three-run homer of his own off of Rasiel Iglesias. Brad Brach eventually relived Iglesias and gets out of a jam when Khris Davis is gunned down at home, keeping the game tied.
In the home half of the ninth, Brach continues to struggle. Lane Adams comes off the bench and manages an infield single. Panik bunts Adams over. Springer walks. Then Andrus comes up and sends the home fans happy with his second three-run shot of the game, driving in all six runs in a 6-3 victory for the Outlaws.
W: McGee (2-0)
L: Brach (3-3)
Sv: None
HRs: SAL – Ramirez (11); FLG – Andrus (11, 12).
Game 2: Quintana v. Greinke – Once again, Salem jumps out to a 3-0 lead. Andrew Benintendi singles in a run in the first, Sogard sacrifices a run in during the fourth, and Max Kepler adds a solo shot in the fifth.
Meanwhile, Jose Quintana puts up zeroes over six, allowing a lone single and two walks. But in the seventh, he makes one bad pitch to Davis and he crushes a two-run homer to get the Outlaws within a run.
Quintana starts the eighth, but a lead off single to Panik ends his day. Iglesias trots out and strikes out Springer, but walks Andrus. Goldy flies out to left and Judge follows with a clutch bases-clearing double and Flagstaff takes a 4-3 lead.
Blake Parker trots out for the ninth and retires all three batters on 12 pitches and Flagstaff completes the rally, sweeping their home half of the seriers, 4-3.
W: Buchter (1-1)
L: Iglesias (3-7)
Sv: Parker (31)
HRs: SAL – Kepler (13); FLG – Davis (19).
Game 3: Sale v. Leake – Chris Sale racks up 11 strike outs, passing 200 for the season, and putting Alex Wood’s franchise record of 232 squarely in his sights. Sale goes six, allowing a lone Ramirez homer on his side of the scoreboard.
Former Outlaw Mike Leake limits his former team to six hits over seven innings, but he gives up a Chris Sale RBI single in the fifth and a Travis Shaw sac fly in the seventh and finds him team down, 2-1.
Bryan Shaw relieves Sale in the seventh and he gives up a solo bomb to former Outlaw Eugenio Suarez, tying the game. In the eighth, Shaw gives up a walk and single before getting yanked. Ryan Butcher gets Trea Turner to fly out, but Nick Goody gives up a three-run gopher ball to pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland, seeing a normally reliable bullpen give up a lead.
Iglesias would pitch his third straight night, but would finally control his game, retiring the side in the ninth, to secure the 5-2 Cowtippers victory.
W: Brach (4-3)
L: Shaw (2-2)
Sv: Iglesias (7)
HRs: FLG – none; SAL – Ramirez (12), Suarez (9), Moreland (7).
Game 4: Wacha v. Gray – In the bottom of the first, with two outs and Ramirez at third, Gary Sanchez strikes out, but that final pitch goes to the backstop and Ramirez is able to score, giving the Cowtippers first blood. Manny Pina makes up for his mishandle but singling in Davis to tie the game in the top of the second. In the third, Sanchez launches his 19th homer to push Salem back out in front.
It would stay 2-1 into the seventh when Flagstaff would regain the lead. Lane Adams hits for Michael Wacha and proceeds to single, steal second, and scores on Panik’s single up the middle. Springer would single and Andrus walk, to load the bases with no outs. Goldy flies out deep enough to left to let Panik score the go-ahead run. But Brad Brach would eventually throw a 6-4-3 double-play ball to end the rally.
That would be important as Salem would then rally big off of Flagstaff’s Jake McGee. A single and double forces McGee to intentionally walk Yoenis Cespedes to load the sacks with no outs. Sanchez drives a ball that sends Springer to the track in center to tie the game at 3-3. With the corners in, Benintendi smashes one to the drawn in Travis Shaw. Ramirez breaks from third and instead of trying to turn it, Shaw fires home and Ramirez manages to slide under the tag. Travis d’Arnuad would add an insurance RBI to give Salem a 5-3 edge.
Tommy Hunter had struck out the last two batters of the eighth and with Iglesias needing a day, he’s asked to work the ninth and rewards the faith getting the Outlaws in order in the ninth to earn Salem the 5-3 home sweep and series split.
W: Brach (5-3)
L: McGee (2-1)
Sv: Hunter (12)
HRs: FLG – none; SAL – Sanchez (19).