Nuts snap out of hitting funk; Senzatela sharp in win over Bakersfield

The Modesto Nuts, posing as the Modesto Cruisers for “What Might Have Been Night” at John Thurman Field, broke out of a 10-game hitting funk and cruised to a 5-1 victory over the Bakersfield Blaze on Friday night.

The Nuts, a nickname that beat out Cruisers and Dusters 10 years ago when Modesto became a Colorado Rockies affiliate, pounded out 10 hits and scored four runs in the fourth inning to take control early.

Over the previous 10 games, the Nuts hit just .208 (66 for 318) overall and .197 (12 for 61) with runners in scoring position. They were 2-8 during the stretch, losing six in a row at one point, and lost their second-half lead in the California League’s North Division.

“We’ve been struggling here and there a little bit,” said Nuts coach Fred Ocasio. “But we came out tonight, swung the bats aggressively and had some good results.”

With the score tied 1-1, third baseman Ryan McMahon led off the bottom of the fourth with his 14th homer of the season, which sailed high into the trees in deep right-center.

“I got a fastball right down the middle,” said McMahon, the team leader in homers. “It felt good.”

Two outs later, catcher Wilfred Rodriguez hit his third round-tripper of the season, sailing over the wall near the flagpole in left.

“I got a fastball in,” said Rodriguez, who said he wasn’t sure he got enough of it when it left his bat. “You never know in this park, especially at that part of the field because it’s so deep.”

But the Nuts weren’t done. Wilson Soriano followed with his second bunt-single of the game and, after stealing second, scored to make it 4-1 when shortstop Emerson Jimenez doubled to left. Jimenez then stole third with Raimel Tapia (2 for 3, triple) in the box, and came home for the game’s final run on a passed ball.

That was more than enough support for Antonio Senzatela (8-6). The staff ace struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced. He allowed just three hits and one walk – he hit a batter – and finished with nine strikeouts in seven innings of work.

“Early on, he was commanding the fastball in and out,” said Rodriguez. “After awhile, his command wasn’t as good, so we had to go back to the middle of the plate, and there was a little more contact.”

The run support bolstered Senzatela, who lowered his league-leading ERA to 2.37.

“The team scored a lot of runs today, and it gave me more confidence,” said Senzatela. “I felt good today. I had my best stuff the first five innings.”

Things could hardly have started any better for Senzatela, who recorded backward K’s against the first two hitters he faced – both on three pitches, no less – and then got the Cal League’s top home run hitter, Tyler O’Neill, to fly out to right on one pitch.

The Nuts got on the board first when Drew Weeks led off the second with a walk – Weeks was the only hitter in the Nuts’ lineup that didn’t get a hit – and Ashley Graeter followed with a single to right on a hit-and-run, allowing Weeks to comfortably pull into third. Modesto then pulled off a delayed double steal, with Graeter swiping second and Weeks bolting for home once the throw went past the mound.

Bakersfield’s lone run came on a home run by leadoff man Nelson Ward in the third.

The Blaze had a chance to make things interesting with runners on first and third and two outs in the eighth. O’Neill, with 26 homers to his credit this season, stepped into the box to face reliever Trent Daniel. Inexplicably, Tim Lopes, the league’s stolen-base leader (30), was thrown out by Rodriguez, taking the bat out of O’Neill’s hands and ending the threat.

The Nuts’ win, coupled with Visalia’s 2-0 win over Stockton, increases their lead to two games in the wild-card standings.

This story was originally published August 14, 2015 at 10:55 PM with the headline "Nuts snap out of hitting funk; Senzatela sharp in win over Bakersfield."