Outlaws split with Furies

The Flagstaff Outlaws continue to play decent ball, taking on a rebuilding South Loop Furies squad, but ends up taking a somewhat disappointing split.

Game 1: Wood v. Heaney – The first real excitement of the game comes in the top of the third when Paul Goldschmidt gets tossed for arguing a called third strike with one on and no one out.

Flagstaff scrambles as has Jonathan Villar replace him in the lineup, moving Joe Panik to first. The move pays off in the fifth when Villar launches a solo homer in his first plate appearance to open the scoring.

Aaron Hicks gets South Loop even with an RBI single off of Alex Wood.

Flagstaff gets something going in the top of the seventh when Denard Span and Andrelton Simmons start the frame with singles, putting runners on the corners and chasing Andrew Heaney from the game. Villar hits what looks like a double play ball, but Span breaks for home and Mark Canha throws home to get Span in a rundown and gets the out. Aaron Judge strikes out and George Springer walks, loading the bases for Joe Panik. Panik takes the Nate Jones offering and launches it into the right field seats for a grand slam.

With the 5-1 lead, Flagstaff is able to lift Wood early and turn the game over to their bullpen. Gabriel Moya and Shane Greene throw three perfect innings of combined relief and Flagstaff opens the series with a 5-1 victory.

W: Wood (4-3)
L: Heaney (6-11)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – Vilar (9), Panik (3); SLF – none.

Game 2: Musgrove v. Porcello – Flagstaff gets a two-out walk by Goldy in the top of the first that ends up biting Rick Porcello when Judge follows with a double to left that scores the first run. The Outlaws make it 2-0 in the third when Goldy scores on Springer’s single.

South Loop ties the game up in the bottom of the third when the Furies get runners on second and third with one out. Aaron Hicks drives one in with a single while Nick Castellanos hit a sac fly that scores the tying run.

Musgrove leaves after six and Victor Arano relieves him to start the seventh, but he immediately walks pinch-hitter Yolmer Sanchez. Sanchez would eventually score from second on a Castellanos single, narrowly beating a throw home from Springer.

Flagstaff would get two runners on in the eighth with no outs, but a lineout and a double play ends the threat. South Loop hangs on for a 3-2 victory to split the games in Glik Park.

W: Porcello (6-8)
L: Arano (4-3)
Sv: Gilmartin (2)
HRs: FLG – none; SLF – none.

Game 3: Gausman v. Erlin – Kevin Gausman walks three, but takes a no-hitter into the sixth inning. With two outs, Paul Goldschmidt takes Gausman’s 88th pitch into the left field bleachers to break up the no-hit bid and puts the Outlaws on top, 1-0.

That would be all the scoring in this one as Robbie Erlin goes seven, scattering four hits and one walk to earn the 1-0 victory for Flagstaff.

W: Erlin (3-1)
L: Gausman (1-1)
Sv: Pressly (23)
HRs: SLF- none; FLG – Goldschmidt (19).

Game 4: Guerra v. Richards – The Outlaws manage to load the bases in the first inning against Junior Guerra, who always gets a hearty round of applause when he pitches against Flagstaff. Guerra uncorks a wild pitch to Villar, allowing Goldy to score and puts Flagstaff up, 1-0.

South Loop evens the game up when Yolmer Sanchez triples in Castellanos. Miguel Rojas draws a hit by pitch. Jace Peterson can’t deliver, making the second out, but Guerra helps himself with a double to get the Furies a 3-1 lead. The Furies add on in the third, scoring twice on RBI from Yadier Molina and Sanchez.

From there, the two teams trade runs and going into the bottom of the ninth, South Loop holds an 8-4 lead when it gets interesting.

Ryan Dull starts the frame and gets two outs before giving up a single to Goldy. Alex Colome enters and allows Springer to double Goldy to third. Sean Gilmartin then relieves and serves up a two-run singe to Eduardo Nunez that gets the Outlaws within two and brings the tying run to the plate. But Villar can’t capitalize and ends up grounding out to end it.

South Loop gets the split, 8-6.

W: Guerra (5-10)
L: Richards (3-4)
Sv: Gilmartin (3)
HRs: SLF – none; FLG – none.