Modesto Nuts end skid, sweep doubleheader at Lake Elsinore

The Modesto Nuts ended an eight-game losing streak in a big way Tuesday night and tightened the wild-card race in the California League’s North Division.

Modesto swept host Lake Elsinore 13-3 and 5-3 in a doubleheader, the nightcap a makeup of Monday night’s postponement because of the Nuts’ broken-down bus.

The Nuts weren’t running on all cylinders during their eight-game slide, either, but they were tuned up Tuesday night at The Diamond.

With the sweep, the Nuts pulled within one game of San Jose and Stockton in the wild-card chase with 12 games remaining. San Jose beat Inland Empire 1-0 on the road, and Stockton lost at High Desert 8-3 on Tuesday night.

Every player in the Nuts’ lineup had at least one hit in the opener, and Modesto totaled 15 hits to support a seven-inning complete game by Cal League Pitcher of the Year Antonio Senzatela (9-7), who scattered nine hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out seven. The right-hander is second in the Cal League with a 2.47 ERA.

Raimel Tapia ignited a five-run first inning with a leadoff triple, the first of six hits in the inning. Tapia also hit a three-run homer in the fifth as part of a 3-for-5 game in which he scored three runs. Michael Benjamin, hitting in the No. 2 hole, hit a two-run bomb in the seventh, reached base four times and scored four runs. Drew Weeks had three hits and three RBIs.

Modesto came from behind to win the nightcap in front of an announced crowd of 1,661, tying the score with a run in the sixth and taking the lead with two runs in the seventh.

Ryan McMahon singled in Benjamin with the go-ahead run, and Ashley Graeter doubled home McMahon. Benjamin went 3 for 4, including two doubles, to pace the Nuts’ 11-hit attack.

The Nuts then handed the ball to closer Matt Carasiti, who pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to earn his 19th save in 21 opportunities.

Winning pitcher Alex Balog (3-6) allowed two earned runs, seven hits and one walk in six innings with five strikeouts.

Game 3 in the four-game series is Wednesday at 6 p.m.

This story was originally published August 25, 2015 at 11:14 PM with the headline "Modesto Nuts end skid, sweep doubleheader at Lake Elsinore."