Modesto Nuts McMahon, Patterson, Senzatela selected to Cal League all-star team

Antonio Senzatela bent low and pointed to his knee, the joint that probably will keep him in the dugout for a spell.

“Still a little sore,” the Modesto Nuts right-handed pitcher admitted.

Senzatela, 20, one of the bright lights of the Colorado Rockies’ minor-league system, collided with catcher Troy Stein while pursuing a bunted ball in the fourth inning of Saturday night’s 5-4 loss at Bakersfield. Feeling discomfort, Senzatela lasted only two more pitches before he walked to the dugout.

Manager Fred Ocasio confirmed that Senzatela (13 starts, 4-3, 2.36 ERA) probably will miss one or two starts. The Venezuela product will join teammates Ryan McMahon and Jordan Patterson at the California-Carolina All-Star Game on June 23 in Rancho Cucamonga. But the pitcher definitely will not see action in the game that marks the season’s halfway point.

The news slightly sobered the fact Modesto landed three players on the all-star team. The Nuts started a seven-game homestand Monday night with a 2-1 loss in the first of three games against San Jose, followed by four against High Desert.

McMahon, one of the Rockies’ top prospects, is batting .302 (13th in the Cal League), and his 23 doubles tops the league. He’s also displayed strong defensive skills around third base.

The fleet Patterson, an outfielder, is fifth in the league with his .317 average and leads the league with 10 triples. Opposing teams are batting only .214 against Senzatela.

The Modesto trio looks forward to the trip. All three will spend the night before the game at the beach house of McMahon’s grandmother in Huntington Beach. McMahon is a graduate of Mater Dei High School.

“I’ve done a little surfing,” McMahon said. “I’ll just show ’em around. I won’t have time to get in the water.”

The all-star selection means more than just a career feather in the players’ caps, according to Nuts hitting coach Drew Saylor.

“I’m beyond thrilled for them. It’s not just an individual award. It’s a representation of who our team is,” Saylor said. “The all-star alums from this league say a lot for the possibilities in your future.”

The Nuts seemed a little miffed that leadoff man Raimel Tapia (.307, 38 RBIs) was left off the team, though Modesto’s 30-34 record no doubt prohibited a fourth pick.

“It was a bummer that he wasn’t selected,” Ocasio said. “He’s been swinging the bat pretty well the whole first half.”

Giants 2, Nuts 1 – Drama played out on two levels at Thurman Field. The Nuts, trailing 2-0, loaded the bases with one out in the ninth but managed only one run off closer Dan Slania. Cesar Galvez drove in the Nuts’ run with a groundout but – with the tying and winning runs in scoring position – Tapia grounded out to second.

Less obvious drama was supplied by Giants starter Tommy Hanson, who was the toast of the Atlanta Braves only four years ago. Signed by San Francisco last month, he took the first step in resurrecting his once-promising career.

The 6-foot-6 Hanson, mixing a 90-mph fastball with bending curves that kept Modesto off balance, struck out eight, allowed two singles and retired his last 12 hitters in five sharp innings.

Since he started the 2011 season 10-4 for the Braves, Hanson has struggled. A trade to the Angels in 2012, a chance missed with the Texas Rangers in spring training last year and more disappointment with the White Sox’s Triple-A team in Charlotte last season left Hanson at the crossroads.

“It was exactly a year ago since I last pitched in a live game. Then I had hip surgery,” said Hanson, 28. “It was fun tonight. It was a long layoff, the longest since I started baseball when I was 4.”

Hanson avoided trouble in the first when Troy Stein lined out, but he dominated over the rest of his 70-pitch outing.

“I settled down and made some good pitches. It’s a big step for me, but it’s only one start,” he said. “I know it’s only A ball, but it was fun to face live hitters and get the adrenalin going.”

Hanson’s signing is a typical low-risk, let’s-see-what-he-has acquisition by San Francisco, but he’s grateful.

“I’d like to get to San Francisco as soon as possible,” he said. “I don’t think I have to say how good this organization is.”

Modesto dropped its third consecutive game and wasted a good outing from starter Zach Jemiola. He allowed a solo home run in the third to Ty Ross, who took a first-pitch, 91-mph fastball over the 400-foot mark in center, and a broken-bat RBI single by Ross in the fifth.

Thirteen Nuts hitters struck out, four by McMahon.

This story was originally published June 15, 2015 at 11:06 PM with the headline "Modesto Nuts McMahon, Patterson, Senzatela selected to Cal League all-star team."