“Sacramento Steams Through Washington: A Sweep Fueled by Stars and Statement Wins”
By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN)
Returning home after a demanding road swing, the Prayers welcomed the struggling Washington Devils — and promptly overwhelmed them. Behind explosive offense, dominant starting pitching, and another MVP-level stretch from Eli Murguia, Sacramento swept all three games to improve to an eye-popping
21–3, one of the best 24-game starts in FBL history.
APRIL 26, 1988
Prayers 7, Devils 1
Murguia Ignites the Home Crowd; Salazar Shines Again
If there were any concerns about Eli Murguia’s minor baserunning injury in Fort Worth, the All-Star left fielder erased them immediately.
Murguia delivered his
best game of the season, going
3-for-4 with a homer and 4 RBI, powering Sacramento to a 7–1 win in front of 22,473 at Sacramento Stadium. His sixth-inning blast — pulled deep into the right-field seats — put the game out of reach.
Alex Velasquez added his own fireworks: a
two-run shot in the third plus a single, scoring twice and showcasing the gap power that made him the league’s triples king in 1985.
Luis Martinez joined the parade with his fifth home run of the season.
On the mound,
Fernando Salazar continued to look like Fernando Salazar — the greatest pitcher the FBL has ever seen. The ace went
8.1 innings, allowing just
1 run, striking out 6 without a walk. Even late contact was soft.
“We’re in a funk right now,”
— Washington manager Caleb Simmons, summing up his team’s April spiral.
Sacramento improved to
19–3, and the offense showed no signs of slowing down.
APRIL 27, 1988
Prayers 4, Devils 3
Andretti Guts Out Seven; Perez Keeps Mashing
The middle game of the series was tighter, tougher — and ultimately another showcase of Sacramento’s ability to win any style available.
Bernardo Andretti turned in a gritty performance, battling through a rough sixth inning but still delivering
7 strong innings with no walks and 5 strikeouts. His only blemishes: back-to-back homers by Salinas and Cooper. Otherwise he was pinpoint.
Sacramento’s offense did just enough:
• Bret Perez, the AL home run leader, went
3-for-4, including a two-out RBI double in the sixth.
• Eli Murguia stayed red-hot with a solo homer — his
sixth — and a pair of runs scored.
• Cory Liston added an RBI single.
• Rubbi contributed a sac fly.
Defensively, Sacramento turned a crucial
Murguia-to-Martinez outfield assist, and Cory Liston erased a run at the plate with a perfect throw on a deep fly.
With a 4–3 lead in the ninth, setup man Marcus Wright handed the ball to
Luis Prieto, who secured
save No. 10 — though he left the mound with a minor injury after throwing to first.
“We’re not exactly playing great right now,”
— Caleb Simmons, as Washington fell to 6–17.
For Sacramento, it was win
No. 20, the earliest the franchise has hit that mark in its 19-year history.
APRIL 28, 1988
Prayers 11, Devils 3
Musco’s Six-RBI Monster Game Caps a Statement Sweep
If the first two games of the series belonged to Murguia and Perez, the finale belonged to
Edwin Musco — utterly, spectacularly.
Musco smashed
two home runs (Nos. 2 and 3 on the year), including a
grand slam in the fourth that blew the game open. He finished the night with:
2-for-2, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 runs, sac fly, HBP
A perfect demonstration of why he remains one of the most dangerous right-handed hitters in the league.
Cory Liston added a solo blast — his second in four days — and Luis Martinez tripled.
Andre Velasquez ripped a triple as well, while Strauss, Perez, and Hernandez all contributed runs.
On the mound,
Russ Gray improved to
5–0, delivering seven sturdy innings and lowering his ERA to
1.91. Giovanni Caliari handled the final two frames.
Sacramento’s 11 runs marked their
ninth double-digit scoring game of April — and their sixth in the last nine games alone.
As the Devils fell to 6–18, even their manager could only shrug:
“From the last… whatever, five, six, seven games, there’s really only one way to go and that’s up.”
— Caleb Simmons, after another lopsided loss.
Sacramento’s win pushed them to
21–3, a blistering pace unmatched since the 1977 Prayers — one of the greatest teams in FBL history.
WASHINGTON SERIES TAKEAWAYS
* The Murguia MVP Drumbeat Is Getting Loud
2 HR, 6 RBI, .538 AVG in 3 games.
League-best .400+ average heading into May.
* Musco’s Grand Slam Was the Moment of the Series
A towering shot that sealed the sweep.
* Perez’s Breakout Continues
3-for-4 in Game 8, a league-leading six homers, and elite baserunning.
* Salazar & Andretti Steady the Rotation
Two wins, 15 combined innings, just 4 runs allowed.
* Sacramento Now Holds Baseball’s Best Record
21–3.
First in runs scored.
First in team OPS.
First in ERA.
First in defensive efficiency.
A complete machine.