Senzel Jump Starts Blue Wahoos Offense

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., - With Pensacola clinging to a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning, Blue Wahoos third baseman Nick Senzel scored and then singled in two more runs in the seventh inning.
Behind Senzel's hot hitting and base running and José López's six scoreless innings, Pensacola downed the Birmingham Barons, 7-0, Wednesday at Regions Field. The five-game series is tied, 2-2, with the final and deciding game scheduled at 7:05 p.m. Thursday.  

Senzel showed why MLBPipeline.com ranked the Cincinnati Reds first round draft pick in 2016 the No. 11 prospect in the minor leagues in its updated midseason report, jumping up 15 spots from No. 26 in its preseason Top 100 list.
In the sixth inning, the 22-year-old lead off with a single to right field and moved to second on a single by first baseman Gavin LaValley. Senzel then tagged up on a fly ball to center field by left fielder Josh VanMeter. With two outs, he hustled home to make it a, 3-0, game when Birmingham reliever Alfredo González made a throwing error on a pickoff attempt.
In the seventh inning, Birmingham intentionally walked Gabriel Guerrero to load the bases with one out. Senzel made the Barons pay by smacking a line drive to right field that scored both catcher Joe Hudson and shortstop Blake Trahan to put Pensacola ahead, 5-0. With runners on first and third, Senzel took off for second and Birmingham second baseman Danny Mendick missed the throw from the catcher, which allowed Guerrero to score from third base for a 6-0 Blue Wahoos lead.
Senzel was 2-5 with a run scored, stolen base and two RBIs giving him 21 RBIs since being called up from High-A Daytona Tortugas after the All-Star break. He's hitting .329.
Meanwhile, Pensacola starter José López threw six scoreless innings, allowed four hits, walked two and struck out four to improve his record to 6-1 with a 2.69 ERA. The 22-year-old struck out three of the first four Barons he faced.
Over his last five starts, Lopez has allowed an amazing 1.13 ERA, giving up just five runs in 40 innings.
As a team, Pensacola owns the second-best ERA in the Southern League at 2.99 and is tied with the Chattanooga Lookouts with the most shutouts in the league with 12.
Pensacola is in first place in the Southern League South Division with a 20-19 record in the second half. Pensacola is 60-49 overall and won the first half title. Birmingham, which is in last place in the Southern League North Division, dropped to 16-23 and are 42-66 overall.
Tickets to the 2017 playoffs are now on sale! Purchase tickets online at bluewahoos.com, visiting the Box Office or calling 850-934-8444. The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are the Double-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of the Southern League. Follow the Pensacola Blue Wahoos at BlueWahoos.com, facebook.com/PensacolaBlueWahoos and twitter.com/BlueWahoosBBall.
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