5-series streak over against Los Altos
Dating back to the final chapter of 2017, the Flagstaff Outlaws had managed a franchise-best five series streak of not losing a series to the vaunted Los Altos Undertakers. Continuing a long road trip to start 2019, Flagstaff played a tough series, giving the Undertakers all they could take, before falling three games to one.
Game 1: Wacha v. Cole – Flagstaff jumped out on Garrit Cole early, scoring a pair of runs on an Aaron Judge double to take a 2-0 lead for Michael Wacha.
Los Altos built momentum in the bottom of the first, getting runners to the corners with one out. Jesus Aguilar grounded a ball to sure-handed Andrelton Simmons who booted the ball, letting a run score. Joc Pederson hit into a fielders choice for what should have been the third out, but Simmons error would come back to haunt the Outlaws as the next six hitters would reach, pushing across seven more unearned runs and giving Los Altos a 8-2 lead after just one inning.
But the Outlaws continued to get to Cole, chipping away and scoring in each of the next four innings to close the gap to 11-8.
In the bottom of the seventh, Los Altos added another run when Shin Soo-Choo doubled in A.J. Ellis, but Flagstaff got that run back in the bottom of the eighth on a Denard Span homer.
In the ninth, Seranthony Dominquez got the first two Outlaws batters to strike out, but he allowed Jonathan Villar to reach on a free pass. That would make Los Altos go to Sean Doolittle, but a wild pitch moved Villar up a base. Then Eduardo Nunez singled to score Villar and would bring the tying run to the plate in the form of Kevin Plawecki. But Doolittle would get the catcher to ground out to third as Los Altos hangs on in an ugly game, 12-10.
W: Cole (2-0)
L: Wacha (0-1)
Sv: Doolittle (2)
HRs: FLG – Springer (1), Nunez (1), Span (1); LAU – Aguilar (2), Holt (2).
Game 2: Chirinos v. Smith – Scoreless through three, Los Altos breaks the scoring drought in the bottom of the fourth when Jesus Aguilar homers for the second straight game, later followed by a Matt Kemp RBI single to give the Undertakers a 2-0 lead after four.
In the top of the sixth, Judge crushes a solo homer off of Caleb Smith to cut the Outlaw deficit in half. But Aguilar gets even in the bottom of the frame, launching a two-run shot to push Los Altos out to a 4-1 lead.
In would stay that way to the ninth, when Doolittle would start the frame with the save chance, but two walks and sprinkled in with two outs and Span singles in Nunez to make the score 4-2, but more importantly get the tying run to the plate. Seeing enough, Los Altos called on Dominguez to face Simmons, who flied out to deep right to end the game. Los Altos 4, Flagstaff 2.
W: Smith (1-0)
L: Chirinos (0-1)
Sv: Dominguez (1)
HRs: FLG – Judge (3); LAU – Aguilar (3, 4).
Game 3: Johnson v. Roark – Needing to find a way to get a lead, Flagstaff manages to strike first in the top of the third only to Los Altos retaliate in the bottom as Springer and Steven Pearch trade RBI singles.
In the fourth, Jordan Luplow singles in Villar to let Flagstaff retake the lead. In the fifth, Paul Goldschmidt and Springer hit back-to-back bombs to extend the lead to 4-1.
Brian Johnson, who was rocked in his opener, continues to keep Los Altos out of rallies and hands the ball to his bullpen after getting the first out in the seventh.
In the bottom of the eighth, Pearce drives in another Undertaker run with a solo shot off of Joe Smith, but they wouldn’t be able to mount any pressure outside of a Corey Seager ninth-inning double that would be stranded by closer Ryan Pressly. Flagstaff wins Game 3, 4-2.
W: Johnson (1-1)
L: Roark (0-1)
Sv: Pressly (4)
HRs: FLG – Goldschmidt (1), Springer (2); LAU – Pearce (1).
Game 4: Romero v. Archer – Needing another win to manage a sweep, Flagstaff turns to Fernando Romero who delivered a strong performance, going six innings allowing just three hits and three walks. Chris Arches was nearly equal to the task over the same span, giving up two hits and four walks. Each pitcher gave up a solo homer in the effort, so after six, it’s a 1-1 game.
In the bottom of the seventh, Flagstaff taps Gabriel Moya to try and keep Los Altos at bay, but three straight doubles with one out pushes a pair of runs across. Victor Arano relieved and ended up giving up an RBI single to Pearce to push the Undertaker lead to 4-1.
But Flagstaff would once again rally late. Judge walked off former Outlaw Collin McHugh to start the ninth. Springer grounded a ball up the middle, but his hustle kept Flagstaff out of a double play. That hustle was rewarded when Villar went deep to pul the Outlaws within a run, bringing the tying run to the plate. At that point, McHugh has had enough despite pitching a strong eighth beforehand, and made way for Dominguez who coaxed a pair of week ground ball outs to cement the Undertakers 4-3 victory, giving them the series victory.
W: Jeffress (1-0)
L: Moya (0-1)
Sv: Dominguez (2)
Hrs: FLG – Judge (4), Villar (1); LAU – Pederson (1).