Senzatela Takes Crown: Rockies destroy AL Champs

 

DENVER – The Colorado Rockies beat the defending American League Champions with authority, had their first baseman take the MLB lead in RBI, had their center fielder extend his lead in hits, saw their rookie “Senzation” win his NL-leading eighth game … and perhaps the most encouraging sign from this game and the past few weeks has been the production of Carlos Gonzalez.

A player who still has superstar talent, CarGo was right in the middle of the Rockies 11-3 beatdown of the Cleveland Indians backing another phenomenal performance from Antonio Senzatela and giving Rockies fans a glimpse at a team no longer looking for its own place at the big-kids table,

Carlos Gonzalez drew a walk to start the rally and moved to second on a Gerardo Parra single. With two outs, the Indians elected to intentionally walk Tony Wolters to bring Senzatela to the plate. The Senzation didn’t waste any time, putting a hard swing on the first pitch he saw and lining a ball into the right-center field gap for a bases-clearing, three-RBI double.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was only the third three-run double from a Rockies pitcher in franchise history.

In the bottom of the third, Carlos Gonzalez leaned on a fastball in vintage fashion. A familiar sight for anyone who has watched his career, it had been since April 25th that Gonzalez went yard at Coors Field and he did it in style, crushing a laser-beam drive that landed 430 feet from home plate into the away bullpen.

Moonshot to the bullpen! ?️? pic.twitter.com/zpxw5mNHn3

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 7, 2017

Sweet Christmas.

Over his last 24 games, CarGo is slashing .302/.392/.460 with three home runs and 19 RBI.

Parra is 17-for-his-last-30 at the plate but he was thrown out trying to steal second and injured himself, having to be removed from the game. He was replaced by Ian Desmond in left field. Parra was later diagnosed with a right quad strain.

Lonnie Chisenhall finally got to Senzatela in the fifth, launching a solo home run over the out-of-town scoreboard. It was his seventh round-tripper of the year.

Colorado poured on three more in the fourth. Charlie Blackmon started things with a single through the right side, his MLB-leading 80th his of the season. CarGo walked after DJ LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado made outs and Mark Reynolds brought them both in with a three-run opposite field blast, his 15th home run of the season, momentarily taking the lead atop MLB’s RBI rankings at 49 before Jake Lamb pulled ahead later in the evening.

Mark Reynolds takes over the RBI lead for MLB with a three-run moonshot. pic.twitter.com/1mooHyy6Jq

— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) June 7, 2017

He also began the game with a diving stop for an out. And remember, this guy’s name isn’t even on the All-Star Game standard ballot, but the hashtags #BeLikeMark and #WriteInReynolds began to trend during the game.

Senzatela cruised through the first six innings and one out having made really just the one mistake, but he made another on a hanging slider to Bradley Zimmer who laced it over the left-field fence to make is 8-3 and chase the Rockies rookie from the game.

His final line: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. His ERA sits at 3.56.

Senzatela won his eighth game for Colorado, the highest total of any pitcher in the National League. He is 22-years-old. Barely.

Chris Rusin came on to finish the seventh and went ahead and finished out the game.

But Reynolds wasn’t done making his case just yet. He smashed another home run, a two-run no-doubt shot into the section wearing specialized t-shirts in his honor in front of a backdrop that read #BeLikeMark. It was 24th multi-home run game of his career and this time he took the RBI lead (51) to hold onto for a minute. The five RBI tied for a career high, the most he has hit in a single game since 2013.

Blackmon added a double in the eighth and came in on a LeMahieu single to make it 11-3 and that would be the final.

Colorado moved to 37-23 and remain atop the standings in the NL West.