Outlaws continue to win key series in tough schedule
The McGowan Division-leading Joplin Miners invaded Flagstaff in their last regular season matchup of the year. Holding a 5-3 series lead, Flagstaff looks to extend that advantage in preparation for any playoff matchup that may be down the road.
Game 1: Verlander v. Sale – Chris Sale worked out of an early jam in the first, getting a key double play after the Joplin Miners had two batters reach. Paul Goldschmidt rewarded Sale with a two-run single in the bottom of the frame. From there, it was all Outlaws would break the game open with a pair of three-run innings late, en route to a 10-1 victory in the series opener for Flagstaff.
Sale would strike out nine over seven scoreless innings, scattering five hits and a walk. Justin Verlander would be tagged with six runs, five earned, over 5 1/3 frames of work, giving up 10 hits in the process.
Goldy key knock paced a 3-for-5 day at the plate, gathering a third RBI on a solo homer late in the game. Every other starter had at least one hit, including Sale who went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.
W: Sale (19-3)
L: Verlander (9-8)
Sv: None
HRs: JOP – none; FLG – Goldschmidt (20).
Game 2: Kershaw v. Greinke – Flagstaff took an early 2-0 lead when George Springer led off the bottom of the first with a homer and Joe Panik hit an RBI single in the second.
However, the Miners’ offense would wake up and put up a fight. Charlie Blackmon homered in the third while Mookie Betts tied the game with a solo shot to start the fifth. Later that inning, Blackmon would break the tie with an RBI single.
Down 3-2, Greinke started the seventh but immediately gave up a solo homer to Chad Pinder. A single later and Greinke was gone and the Flagstaff bullpen imploded, giving up three more runs.
Up 7-3, the only question left was would Clayton Kershaw go the distance. With the big lead and at 1-6 pitches, Joplin lifted Kershaw for Matt Bowman who got two outs, but then allowed two runners to reach. Craig Kimbrel trotted out and two pitches later, got the fly ball that would end the game and even the series for Joplin with a 7-3 decision.
W: Kershaw (10-8)
L: Greinke (16-5)
Sv: Kimbrel (22)
HRs: JOP – Blackmon (34), Betts (11), Pinder (14), Lowrie (8); FLG – Springer (28).
Game 3: Morton v. Wood – Once again, Flagstaff would score early and often, gathering a 3-0 lead before the opposing starter could even settle in to a flow. Springer singled and moved to third on Elvis Andrus’s double. RBI groundouts from Goldy and Aaron Judge pushed two runs across. In the second, a Khris Davis triple was followed by a Manny Pina double and after two inning, Joplin was in a hole.
Alex Wood would keep the Miners in that hole through six innings, allowing just two hits and no walks. Flagstaff had designed on letting Wood start the seventh, but getting two runners on with Wood’s spot due up made the Outlaw coaching staff ponder. Deciding to go for the killing blow, Wood was lifted for Lane Adams who ended up grounding into the rally killing double play off of Chris Devenski.
In the eighth, Joplin tried to dig out of their hole scoring twice. Jake McGee started the inning but a single and double brought Blackmon to the plate. Rather than seeing him have a chance for a big hit, Flagstaff walked Blackmon to load the bases. Bryan Shaw relieved McGee and got a grounder to third, but Travis Shaw booted in everyone was safe. Then Gregor Blanco lifted a ball to deep right, letting the second run score. With one out, Flagstaff took no further chances and brought Blake Parker for a five-out save attempt. A foul out to first followed by an easy fly ball to right got the Outlaws out of the immediate jam.
In the ninth, Parker struck out Pinder, but David Peralta walked. Matt Carpenter pinch hit, but lined out to Joe Panik who was able to double Pinder off and preserve the Outlaw 3-2 victory.
W: Wood (12-3)
L: Morton (6-6)
Sv: Parker (41)
HRs: JOP – none; FLG – none.
Game 4: Garza v. Wacha – This game feature three Joplin leads that were erased, setting up extra inning action. In the top of the 10th with the score tied at 6-6, with the save out the window, Blake Parker stepped in to try and keep Joplin away from any momentum. He pitched a perfect inning to do just that.
In the bottom of the frame, Bowman gave up a single to Goldschmidt who moved to second on a wild pitch. Bowman was able to get the next two outs while keeping Goldy where he was. Craig Kimbrel then exited the bullpen to face Davis, who greeted him a double in the left field gap, walking off the Outlaws in extras, 7-6.
Joplin took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first when Carlos Santana singled in two followed by a Buster Posey RBI single two batters later, but Aaron Judge erased that deficit with one swing of his bat in the third.
Mookie Betts would follow Judge’s antics with a solo homer in the fourth to retake the lead for the Miners only to see that lead erased in the fifth on Andrus’s bomb.
In the sixth, Michael Wacha managed to walk the bases loaded with no outs. Matt Albers relieved him and got two on fly balls, but unfortunately runs scored on both of those, pushing the Miners out to a 6-4 lead. But it would be Judge again leveling the score with a single swing in the batters box, lacing a two-run homer in the eighth to set the stage for extra innings.
W: Parker (4-4)
L: Bowman (3-3)
Sv: None
HRs: JOP – Betts (12); FLG – Judge (32, 33), Andrus (15).