SACRAMENTO SENTIMENTS — FAN REACTION COLUMN
“What’s Going On With Prieto?”
By A Concerned Faithful
If you spent any time in the bleachers, the concourse lines, or the postgame radio call-ins after Tuesday’s collapse, you heard it: Sacramento fans are officially worried about Luis Prieto.
And not the polite kind of worry — the kind filled with long exhales, head-shakes, and that unmistakable Prayers-fan mix of loyalty and frustration.
“We love the guy, but this can’t keep happening.”
That’s the phrase I heard most walking out of Sacramento Stadium after the 9–5 loss, where Prieto entered a tied game in the ninth and left with a blown save and a five-run implosion on the ledger.
Is that harsh? Maybe. But Sacramento fans know what high standards look like — eight championships, generational pitchers, a bullpen lineage that includes Rascon, Lunsford, and Prieto himself. The bar isn’t low here. It never has been.
From trusted hammer to… what exactly?
Prieto’s 1988 line so far:
- 1–3 record
- Two blown saves in the first five weeks
- 5.14 ERA
- A worrying inability to miss bats or escape traffic
This isn’t the same Prieto who once strangled late innings for Sacramento’s 1987 champs. Fans see that. They feel it. And they’re starting to wonder if the Prayers are asking too much of him too early, too often, or simply too late in his career arc.
“It just feels like the drama is back when he comes in.”
One caller put it bluntly on KPRY’s postgame show:
“When Prieto jogs in now, I don’t sit back in my seat — I sit forward.”
That’s not the closer’s vibe. That’s the cardiac-closer vibe, and Sacramento has lived that life before. Nobody wants to go back.
Blown leads linger longer here
Sacramento Stadium is a place where fans remember everything — Musco’s postseason heroics, Velasquez’s recent tear, Salazar’s masterclass seasons. So when the bullpen coughs up a late lead in a game they’d largely controlled? It hits harder here. It feels like a violation of an unwritten civic contract.
You protect the lead, and we believe in you.
Break the contract, and the murmurs begin.
But it’s not all pitchforks and torches
For every fan ready to demote Prieto, there’s another saying what many forget:
- He’s still elite at inducing weak contact.
- His command wasn’t terrible — just poorly sequenced.
- He’s earned patience after years of brilliance.
And the loudest sentiment of all?
“He’ll figure it out. He always does.”
This city loves its flawed heroes. Prieto isn’t booed — he’s sighed at. There’s a difference. Fans want him to succeed not just for the standings, but because he feels like part of the Prayers’ identity.
Still, even the loyalists want to see adjustments:
- Fewer back-to-back outings
- A faster hook from the dugout
- Maybe a week in lower-leverage spots
- A reset of whatever mechanical hitch is dragging his fastball late
The Verdict from the stands
Sacramento isn’t ready to give up on Luis Prieto.
But Sacramento also isn’t blind.
He’s struggling. He’s hittable. He’s costing them games. And in a season where the Prayers are playing like a juggernaut, every blemish stands out more sharply.
Fans want answers, adjustments, and a version of Prieto that doesn’t send them lunging for their rally towels and blood-pressure medication.
Because if this team really is on track for another deep October run, one thing is painfully clear:
They need the old Prieto back. And soon.