Kansas City wins a rare series against Outlaws
Flagstaff has dominated the Kansas City Boulevards for the better part of six seasons. However, the Boulevards took it to the Outlaws in this series where runs were scarce.
Game 1: Wood v. Nola – Andrelton Simmons starts the game off with a triple down the right-field line, scoring on Paul Goldschmidt’s single to give Flagstaff a 1-0 lead before the Kansas City faithful can get settled in their seats. Kevin Plawecki doubles down the same line to score Eduardo Nunez from first to make it 2-0 through two innings.
The Boulevards gets those back when Alex Wood plunks the first two batters in the bottom of the second and Evan Longoria would later drive in Edwin Encarnacion, but Wood is able to get out of the frame without any further damage. In the third, Jose Peraza doubles and scores on Dee Gordon’s single.
The zeroes mount until the sixth when Encarnacion and Marcell Ozuna go back-to-back to give the Boulevards a 4=2 lead. Encarnacion adds another in the eighth and Felipe Vazquez pitches a perfect ninth to give Kansas City a 5-2 victory.
W: Nola (10-7)
L: Wood (5-5)
Sv: Vazquez (17)
HRs: FLG – ; KCB – Encarnacion 2 (30, 31), Ozuna (17).
Game 2: Musgrove v. Chacin – The Boulevards get on the board first with a Marcell Ozuna RBI knock to score the speedy Dee Gordon in the bottom of the first. The score would stay that way into the sixth innings when George Springer singles in Denard Span to tie the game.
In the bottom of the second, with two outs, Flagstaff walks Encarnacion intentionally to set up a force at any base with two outs and Max Kepler makes Joe Musgrove pay with a clutch triple to score two runs and give Kansas City a 3-1 lead.
That would be all the Boulevards would need as Jhoulys Chacin would go seven and Vazquez would record a four-out save as the Boulevards win, 3-1.
W: Chacin (8-12)
L: Musgrove (2-3)
Sv: Vazquez (18)
HRs: FLG – none; KCB – none.
Game 3: Roark v. Happ – Offense continues to be a premium items as both teams manage just one hit over the first three scoreless innings.
In the fourth, J.A. Happ gets shaky, walking two batters in the frame. Jonathan Villar breaks the deadlock with a single that scores Paul Goldschmidt from second.
In the sixth, George Springer crushes a three-run dinger to push the Flagstaff advantage to 4-0.
Kansas City would rally to score single runs in the eighth and ninth, but Flagstaff holds on to win, 4-2.
W: Roark (2-0)
L: Happ (9-11)
Sv: Pressly (25)
HRs: FLG – Springer (14); KCB – none.
Game 4: Richards v. Velazquez – The ball was flying out The Brewery as Flagstaff jumps out front when Jarrod Dyson hits a two-run homer around the right-field foul pole in the top of the first.
Kansas City get one back on a Encarnacion solo homer in the second. Then Ozuna and Thames each homers in the fourth and KC has a 4-2 lead.
Goldschmidt pops a solo shot to get the Outlaws with a run.
After six frames, Vincent Velazquez had only given up three hits, two of which where homers, while Trevor Richards had give up four knocks including three homers.
But from there, the bullpens take over and over the last three frames, only three measly singles are scattered. Kansas City holds on to win the series with a 4-3 victory.
W: Velazquez (5-9)
L: Richards (5-6)
Sv: Vazquez (19)
HRs: FLG – Dyson (3), Goldschmidt (21); KCB – Encarnacion (32), Ozuna (18), Thames (3).