Flagstaff reaches .500 at the quarter pole
The Flagstaff Outlaws and Las Vegas Flamingos renewed acquaintances with a split home-and-home series.
Game 1: Anderson v. Wacha – Las Vegas jumps on the board with a pair of solo home runs in the second and third innings from Mark Reynolds and Max Stassi.
Flagstaff answers with their own solo homer from Kevin Plawecki in the bottom of the third and run-scoring double play ball from Jonathan Villar.
In the fifth, Flagstaff breaks the game open on RBIs from Denard Span and Paul Goldschmidt to take a 4-2 lead after five.
From there, Michael Wacha finishes the sixth and three relievers team up to lock down the final three innings and Flagstaff takes the opener, 4-2.
W: Wacha (3-5)
L: Anderson (4-4)
Sv: Pressly (13)
HRs: LVF – Reynolds (8), Stassi (3); FLG – Plawecki (1).
Game 2: Nova v. Chirinos – Once again, Vegas takes an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first with RBI singles from Francisco Lindor and Trey Mancini. In the bottom of the first, Aaron Judge pops an RBI single to get the Outlaws on the board.
In the third, Brian McCann hits a run-scoring out to give the Flamingos back their two-run lead.
In the fourth, Ivan Nova gets into all sorts of trouble. Before the inning ends, 10 Outlaws come to the plate, scoring five times. Joe Panik tripled in two while Goldschmidt singled in two. Yonny Chirinos helped his own case with his own RBI single that put the Outlaws on top.
Now up 6-3, Chirinos shuts down the next the Flamingos over the next two frames and the Flagstaff bullpen turns in another three-inning effort, with Ryan Pressly earning his second straight save. Flagstaff 6, Las Vegas 3.
W: Chirinos (3-3)
L: Nova (2-5)
Sv: Pressly (14)
HRs: LVF – none; FLG – none.
Game 3: Johnson v. Straily – For the third straight game, Vegas jumps out in front, this time a three-run lead. Reynolds hits a sac fly, Stassi hits another homer, and Mancini adds an RBI single off of Outlaw starter Brian Johnson.
For the third straight game, Flagstaff answers back. In the fifth, George Springer hits a two-run homer. Andrelton Simmons ties the game in the sixth with an RBI single.
In the eighth, Dylan Floro gets two outs around a single. Simmons draws a walk and Floro is lifted. Ryan Tepera comes in to relieve but gives up the go-ahead single to Denard Span.
With Ryan Pressly unavailable and Johnson only going five innings, Flagstaff turns to closer-by-committee. Ryan Buchter starts the eighth with the lead and strands two runners to get out of the inning. After getting the first out of the ninth, Darren O’Day is called on to get the final two outs and he succeeds, giving Flagstaff the 4-3 victory.
W: Arano (3-1)
L: Floro (0-2)
Sv: O’Day (1)
HRs: FLG – Springer (7); LVF – Stassi (4).
Game 4: Tropeano v. Lucchesi – For two innings, this game had the making of a historical offensive output as both teams combined for 15 runs.
The offense levels off at that point and Vegas staves off the sweep with a 13-8 decision.
Nick Tropeano made his Flagstaff debut and immediately got three runs of support on a Goldy two-run triple followed by a Carter Kieboom sac fly.
But Tropeano had a severe case of nerves. Adam Eaton led off with a homer. The next four batters cranked doubles. Then came a single. Todd Frazier, the seventh batter of the frame, struck out for the first out. Brian McCann then launches a three-run homer. Joey Lucchesi makes the second out, but two more singles followed. Thankfully, Lindor pops out to foul ground and Vegas holds a 7-3 advantage.
In the second, Goldy and Judge hit back-to-back jacks that plated three runs and edged Flagstaff within a run.
Despite getting back within a run, the Outlaws had a depleted bullpen. Flagstaff management made the decision to roll with Tropeano who gave up two more runs on a RBI double by Frazier and a RBI groundout from McCann.
At 9-6, Vegas was able to go into cruise control as they added on during the middle innings, building a 13-6 lead after seven.
W: Lucchesi (1-4)
L: Tropeano (0-1)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – Goldschmidt (8), Judge (10); LVF – Eaton (3), McCann (1, 2).