Wahoos Beat Biloxi

July 29, 2017

Pensacola Blue Wahoos third baseman Nick Senzel hit a triple, a solo homer, a single and missed hitting for the cycle by a few feet when his line drive landed just foul down the right field line in his last at bat.

The Cincinnati Reds top prospect’s 4-for-4 night and Pensacola starter Jose Lopez’s fifth straight quality start led Pensacola to a, 4-3, victory Friday over the Biloxi Shuckers in front of 4,567 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

Pensacola clinched the series, 3-1, and has now won 10 of its 11 homestands this season. The only series loss from the first half Southern League South Division champions was to Biloxi at the end of April.

Senzel knew he had a chance to hit for the cycle, which was last done by former Blue Wahoos first baseman Donald Lutz on April 21, 2014. No Southern League hitter has hit for the cycle this season. It was Senzel’s fourth four-hit game of his two-year professional career.

“I saw it and knew it was going foul,” he said. “I was just a few feet short. I knew what the situation presented. I was glad my teammates were there to support me.”

Senzel put Pensacola on top, 2-0, with a triple to dead center that bounced off the wall and drove in center fielder Gabriel Guerrero and a solo homer he crushed to left field out of the ballpark. It was his fourth homer in 32 games since being called up from High-A Daytona Tortugas, where he had four homers in 62 games.

Pat Kelly said Senzel, who is hitting .331 in the Southern League, is still improving.

“I’m sure there are a few things. We can all get better,” Kelly said. “But he sure swings the bat extremely well.”

Senzel said he was just happy that Pensacola could jump out to a 4-0 lead and let Lopez concentrate on pitching. In 19 games head-to-head, Pensacola has won 11 and 12 games have been decided by two runs or less.

“He has been really good,” Senzel said of Lopez. “His hard work is paying off, which is great for us. It was nice to get out front and let Jose do his job.”

The 23-year-old Pensacola right-hander started off in Double-A by giving up four runs in his first three starts and six in his fourth start. But he has turned his season around, pitching his fifth straight solid start in his ninth game for the Blue Wahoos. Against Biloxi, he completed seven innings, allowed one run on four hits and two walks, and struck out five.

Over his last five starts, Lopez has been stingy, giving up only five earned runs in 34 innings for a 1.32 ERA. He’s only walked six in that stretch. Lopez improved to 5-1 with Pensacola and has a 2.95 ERA on the year.

In Pensacola’s rotation, he follows starter Deck McGuire, who has a 0.98 ERA in his last seven starts.

Kelly said he likes have McGuire and Lopez pitching back-to-back in the middle of the Blue Wahoos rotation.

“It allows us a little more leeway on the ends,” Kelly said. “When he first came up, he gave the hitters too much credit. Now, he’s more aggressive with his fastball in the zone and he’s getting ahead of hitters.”

In the fourth inning both left fielder Josh VanMeter and right fielder Aristides Aquino reached first base, stole second base and continued to third base on throwing errors by Biloxi catcher Rene Garcia, and scored on wild pitches by the Shuckers pitcher Freddy Peralta, putting Pensacola on top, 4-0.

Biloxi finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning to pull within, 4-1, when Peralta squared to bunt and then slapped the ball that glanced off Pensacola first baseman Gavin LaValley’s glove and rolled into right field to allow Shuckers third baseman Javier Betancourt to score. It was Peralta’s first professional hit and RBI in nine at bats this year.

Weiss made his 11th appearance and gave up a two-run homer to Biloxi first baseman Dustin DeMuth that bounced off the top of the left field wall to pull the Shuckers within, 4-3. It was DeMuth’s seventh homer this season. Despite giving up the two runs, Weiss earned his seventh save this season for Pensacola.

“It’s all about getting three outs before giving up three runs,” Kelly said.

Biloxi 21-year-old right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta, the No. 11 ranked Milwaukee Brewers prospect by MLBPipeline.com, made his sixth Double-A start for Biloxi and gave up all four Pensacola runs to take the loss, falling to 1-3 with a 3.06 ERA.

Photos courtesy Barrett McClean Photography/Blue Wahoos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports