Flagstaff finally solves Jamboree riddle
After dropping two series earlier in the season to the Bear Country Jamboree, the Flagstaff Outlaws hosted those Jamboree, trying to find a way to win a series. With a good lineup, decent starting pitching and a superb bullpen, it was a tough nut to crack, but the Outlaws finally managed to win that series.
Game 1: Santana v. Sale – Paul Goldschmidt and Travis Shaw would hit RBI single in the first inning to give Flagstaff up, 2-0, after the first inning.
With two outs in the top of the fourth, Ryan Zimmerman hits a clutch RBI double to get Bear Country on the board. Willson Contreras follows with a 2-run homer, letting him redeem himself for a throwing error that led to one of those unearned runs from Flagstaff in the first, to put Bear Country up, 3-2.
Aaron Judge doubled to start the bottom of the fourth and a Travis Shaw sacrifice fly moved him to third. With Khris Davis up, the Jamboree intentional walk Davis to try and set up the double play and avoid a potent bat at the same time. The problem is that Manny Pina answered with an RBI single and Chris Sale followed that with an RBI double. Later in the inning, Elvis Andrus adds a run-scoring single to give Flagstaff their two-run lead back at 5-3.
But that lead would not last long as Logan Forsythe launches a three-run tater to let Bear Country retake their lead and handing Sale his worst start of the year.
From that point, Bear Country turns to their ridiculous bullpen and as expected, they performed well, scattering a couple of hits over four innings of work. But in the ninth, things turn around.
Andrew Miller starts the inning for his second inning of work, but Andrus manages to get a fastball he can turn on and just like that, the game is tied. Miller would strikeout the next two batters before turning the game over to Aroldis Chapman, who gives up a single, but gets out the inning and sending us to extras.
In the tenth, Pina starts the inning off with a double off of Chapman and moves to third on Caleb Joseph’s groundout. Enrique Hernandez strikes out. Chapman wants no part of George Springer, so he walks him intentionally. But the man who tied the game delivers the walk-off single to left center and Flagstaff wins, 7-6.
W: McGee (3-1)
L: Chapman (2-5)
Sv: None
HRs: BCJ – Contreras (23), Forsythe (3); FLG – Andrus (16).
Game 2: McCarthy v. Greinke – Flagstaff once again takes an early 2-0 lead on a first-inning Judge RBI single and a Davis solo short in the second.
With that run support, Zach Greinke cruises through six innings, allowing five hits and a walk, but allowing zero runs.
In the eighth, the normally strong Outlaw bullpen stumbles thanks in part to an untimely error from Judge that put leadoff hitter Andrleton Simmons on second base. Howie Kendrick grounds out, but allows Simmons to scoot to third. Daniel Murphy strikes out. Blake Parker comes on to face Ryan Zimmerman who adds another clutch knock, doubling in Simmons. But Contreras strikes out and Flagstaff escapes the eighth with a 2-1 lead intact.
In the ninth, Parker works around a two-out single to end the game and preserve the Flagstaff 2-1 victory.
W: Greinke (17-5)
L: McCarthy (6-5)
Sv: Parker (42)
HRs: BCJ – none; FLG – Davis (29).
Game 3: Castillo v. Ramirez – Alex Wood gets his turn skipped and J.C. Ramirez gets the spot start. This game gets another early 2-0 lead, but this time it’s Bear Country that takes it. Chase Headley gets into a Ramirez offering and dumps it into the left center bleachers, scoring Contreras. Flagstaff answers with a two-run blast from Aaron Judge in the fourth.
Both Luis Castillo and Ramirez get through six keeping the game knotted at 2-2. In the top of the seventh, the great Jamboree bullpen gets another chink in its armor. Brad Hand ends up loaded the bases with no outs on a walk, single and hit batter. Trevor Hildenburger steps in and gets Game 1 hero Andrus to strike out, but Goldy steps in and cranks a grand slam down the left field line.
Bear Country would get a run back in the eighth on a Kevin Pillar pinch-hit RBI single. And error, balk and a walk would load the bases, but Matt Albers gets Matt Adams to fly out to semi-deep right field.
That run creates a save situation, so that means Blake Parker pitches the ninth, this time pitching a perfect effort to earn his 43rd save of the season. Flagstaff 2, Bear Country 1.
W: Shaw (4-3)
L: Hand (8-4)
Sv: Parker (43)
HRs: BCJ – Headley (3); FLG – Judge (34), Goldschmidt (21).
Game 4: Paxton v. Wacha – Eyeing a sweep, Flagstaff turns to Michael Wacha while James Paxton is tasked to be a streak-breaker. Paxton pays dividends early with the bat, contributing an RBI single in the top of the second. Davis hits an RBI double to tie 1-1 after two innings of play.
But then Ryan Zimmerman takes control. He pops an RBI single in the third a two-run double in the fifth to give Bear Country a 4-1 lead, their biggest of the series.
Paxton works into the seventh, but a small rally ends his night after allowing an RBI single to Pina. Hildenburger gets Lane Adams to end the minor threat.
From there, it’s the Jansen and Chapman show. Jansen works around a leadoff walk while Chapman strikes out the side in the ninth and Bear Country staves off the sweep, 4-2.
W: Paxton (9-6)
L: Wacha (9-4)
Sv: Chapman (32)
HRs: BCJ – none; FLG – none.