By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN)
“Power, Extra Innings, and a Rare Slip: Sacramento Takes 2 of 3 in Texas”
Fresh off the emotional high of Eli Murguia’s five-hit walk-off masterpiece, Sacramento carried its league-best record into Fort Worth for a three-game set against the scrappy Spirits. The Prayers’ offense kept rolling, the bullpen showed both grit and strain, and one of the club’s most important hitters delivered his biggest swing of the young season. Sacramento took
two of three, pushing their record to
18–3 before finally stumbling in the finale.
APRIL 23, 1988
Prayers 11, Spirits 4
Iniguez Drives the Bus; Sacramento Opens the Series With a Rout
The Sacramento offense arrived in Texas early — and did not bother to unpack lightly.
Hector Iniguez continued his quietly excellent April with a
2-for-5, 4-RBI performance, including a backbreaking
two-run single in the 5th that turned a tight 4–3 game into a 6–3 Sacramento lead. It was the spark that unraveled Fort Worth’s pitching staff and set the tone for the entire afternoon.
“We’ll pop the top on a cold beverage and get back to work tomorrow,”
— Hector Iniguez, on his Player of the Game outing.
Sacramento’s attack was relentless:
• Cory Liston crushed a two-run homer in the 4th.
• B. Perez tripled and scored twice.
• Luis Martinez doubled twice.
• Francisco Hernandez posted two RBI.
• Andres Valadez,
Musco,
Strauss, and
Mendoza all chipped in hits.
It was one of those classic Prayers performances — equal parts speed, power, and pressure.
On the mound,
Russ Gray moved to
4–0, navigating six innings of traffic (8 H, 3 ER) with veteran poise. Joe Vizcarra and Dennys Garza locked down the final three frames.
The win pushed Sacramento to
17–2, the best 19-game start in franchise history.
APRIL 24, 1988
Prayers 8, Spirits 5 (11 innings)
Mendoza Breaks It Open in Extras; Sacramento Survives a Wild One
Sacramento’s extra-inning magic struck again — this time thanks to a player who began the night on the bench.
In the top of the
11th, with two outs and two aboard, catcher
Alex Mendoza unloaded a towering
three-run homer off Matt Majewski, turning a tense 5–5 tie into an 8–5 Sacramento advantage.
The blast — Mendoza’s first of the year — was the difference in a game where Sacramento piled up
13 hits but just couldn’t land the knockout blow until the final inning.
“We had some nice at-bats at the right time,”
— Manager Jimmy Aces
Other offensive highlights:
• Andres Valadez set the table with a
four-hit, four-run explosion — including a three-run homer of his own in the 2nd.
• Spencer Strauss added another multi-hit game and RBI.
• Eli Murguia doubled twice and reached base three times.
• J. Rubbi doubled in the 2nd.
• Hernandez,
Musco, and
Perez all contributed.
On the pitching side:
• Aaron Gilbert bent but didn’t break in 4.2 innings.
• Dennys Garza fired 3.1 steady innings in relief.
• Luis Prieto earned his first win of the year with three scoreless innings — his sharpest outing of April.
The win elevated Sacramento to
18–2, and for the second straight day, the Prayers showed why no lead is safe when they have one more swing remaining.
APRIL 25, 1988
Spirits 3, Prayers 1
Cruz Outduels Rubalcava; Murguia Injured in Narrow Loss
Even the league's best can’t outrun the grind forever.
Sacramento’s bid for a sweep fell short as Fort Worth’s
Bruce Cruz handcuffed the Prayers over 5.2 innings, and the Spirits turned a few early extra-base hits into just enough offense for a 3–1 win.
The bigger concern:
Eli Murguia left the game in the 1st inning while running the bases, and did not return. It was the second time in two days a player on either side exited due to baserunning mishaps. Sacramento played cautiously with him the rest of the series.
Sacramento produced chances — nine men left on base, including multiple in scoring position — but couldn’t cash them in.
Their lone run came on an
Edwin Musco solo homer in the 8th.
Other bright spots:
• Musco reached three times (HR, double, HBP).
• Iniguez added a hit and RBI.
• Rubbi,
Velasquez, and
Liston reached.
• The defense turned a classic
Martinez–Musco–Strauss double play.
On the mound,
Jordan Rubalcava pitched far better than the line suggests (7.1 IP, 2 ER, 10 K). His slider was vicious. His command — tight. His only mistake: a middle-in fastball Ezequiel Reza converted into a late solo homer.
Fort Worth added an insurance run in the 8th, and Sacramento couldn’t scratch back.
The loss dropped the Prayers to
18–3 — still the best record in baseball by a wide margin.
FORT WORTH SERIES TAKEAWAYS
* The Offense Remains a Juggernaut
22 runs in the first two games.
Multiple hitters were scorching hot: Valadez, Strauss, Iniguez, Murguia, Martinez.
* Iniguez Quietly Dominated This Set
6 RBI in two days.
Gap power, situational hitting, leadership.
* The Bullpen Was Busy — But Delivered
Garza, Prieto, and Vizcarra were tested heavily.
Outside of the finale, they held strong.
* Rubalcava’s Loss Was Still an Ace-Level Start
10 strikeouts.
A 1.51 ERA through five starts.
* Health Watch
Murguia’s early exit loomed over the finale.
Status for the next series remains the biggest storyline entering April’s final stretch.