Flagstaff reaches century mark for wins
For only the third time in franchise history, the Flagstaff Outlaws reached 100 wins with a series victory over the Myrtle Beach Hitmen. In 2014, the Outlaws hit 100 games exactly en route to a Griffin Division title and a five-game defeat to the Wyoming Ridgebacks in the World Series. 2009 saw the then San Antonio Broncs win 102 games, but ended up 11 games behind the Los Altos Undertakers.
Game 1: Cashner v. Sale – The Outlaws take an early 3-0 lead off of Andrew Cashner. Paul Goldschmidt hit a solo homer in the first while Chris Sale and George Springer added RBI singles in the second.
Cashner was lifted after that, but the Hitmen bullpen actually kept the Outlaws moderately in check. Justin Bour’s third-inning RBI knock in the third got the Hitmen on the board while Bruce Suter throws three innings of scoreless relief.
In the 6th, Chris Sale gives up a solo homer to Bour that inches Myrtle Beach within a run, but Khris Davis takes Suter deep in the bottom of the frame, to rebuild the two run lead.
In the ninth, Jake McGee gives up a lead off single to Daniel Descalso. Gerrado Parra flies out and McGee gets lifted for Blake Parker. Parker immediately gives up a clutch double to Jose Pirela which puts the tying run in scoring position. Jesse Winker was walked to set up the double play, but Parker gets the next batters on strikes and Flagstaff escapes, 4-3.
W: Sale (23-3)
L: Cashner (4-15)
Sv: Parker (48)
HRs: MBH – Bour (25); FLG – Goldschmidt (25), Davis (34).
Game 2: Jimenez v. McHugh – Myrtle Beach takes its first lead of the series, going up 2-0 on an RBI double from Pierla in the second and a RBI groundout from Winker in the third.
Ubaldo Jimenez had retired six batters in a row after giving up a leadoff single to Springer, but in the third, Ubaldo’s luck ran out. A one-out walk to Elvis Andrus is followed by a double from Springer, scoring Andrus. Joe Panik singles. Two batters later, Aaron Judge plays long ball, crushing a three-run homer way over the out of town scoreboard and Flagstaff takes the lead 4-2.
In doesn’t get any better for Jimenez in the fifth as he allows four doubles and four runs, putting the game away.
Collin McHugh, subbing for Zack Greinke gets through seven innings, striking out nine and scattering eight hits.
Flagstaff piles on late and they win going away, 11-2.
W: McHugh (1-4)
L: Jimenez (1-7)
Sv: None
HRs: MBH – none; FLG – Judge (39).
Game 3: Montgomery v. Ramirez – J.C. Ramirez throws Flagstaff’s first complete game of the year, a four-hit shutout over 121 pitches as Flagstaff cruises, 12-0.
Aaron Judge made the biggest damage in this one run, only racking up two hits, a three-run homer and a RBI double, and also drawing three walks, scoring three times. Even Ramirez helped himself with a three RBIs on a sac fly and a two-run single.
W: Ramirez (8-2)
L: Montgomery (9-11)
Sv: None
HRs: MBH – none; FLG – Judge (40).
Game 4: Lackey v. Wacha – For a team with pitching usage issues, seeing their pitcher leave the game after one pitch can’t be a good thing. But the Hitmen managed to work with it.
They took at 2-0 lead and extended to a 6-1 lead after just three and a half innings. In all, they end up scoring eight times, seven charged to Michael Wacha, and they held an 8-4 lead after six frames.
But as they have done so many times, the Outlaws rally. Andrus crushes a two-homer in the seventh while Goldy does the same in the ninth and the game is tied 8-8 after regulation.
In the 11th, Justin Bour hits his second homer of the series, a lead off shot against McGee to give the Hitmen the lead. Two batters later, Michael Taylor adds his own solo bomb off Bryan Shaw.
Lucas Giolito is tasked to get the save and his 10-pitch effort easily does the job as the Hitmen avoid the sweep with a 10-8 victory.
W: Suter (6-2)
L: McGee (4-2)
Sv: Giolito (2)
HRs: MBH – Bour (26), Taylor (14); FLG – Davis (35), Andrus (19), Goldschmidt (26).