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liberty-ca · 12-20-2025, 08:12 PM

SACRAMENTO AT SEATTLE — Pacific Northwest Fireworks: Prayers Weather the Storm in Emerald City
By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN) and Gemmy Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle

Seattle greeted Sacramento with coastal cool and postseason urgency, and for one night, it worked. By Sunday, it didn’t. The Sacramento Prayers (84-33) arrived in Seattle this week expecting a fight, and for the first nine innings, it looked like the "Emerald City" might actually be the place where the Prayers' divine luck finally ran out. But as this team has shown all summer, you can only keep them in the dark for so long before they find the light switch — and in the series finale, they didn't just find it; they blew the fuses out of the entire stadium.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5 — Seattle 2, Sacramento 0

Pitching chess, one mistake too many

Friday was a statistical anomaly that left Sacramento fans scratching their heads. The Prayers out-hit the Seattle Lucifers 9 to 5, yet walked off the field with a 2-0 shutout loss. For six and a half innings, this game belonged to the margins.

Russ Gray and Edwin Gaytan traded clean frames and quiet confidence, the kind of duel where every at-bat felt like it might be the one that mattered. Gray scattered five hits across eight innings and threw 62 strikes in 97 pitches. Gaytan was no less exacting: 6⅔ scoreless, four strikeouts, one walk, and a steady diet of weak contact that kept Sacramento from converting traffic into damage.

The Prayers collected nine hits and four walks but stranded 11 runners, including repeated missed chances with two outs. Ben Perez went 3-for-4 with a walk. Hector Iniguez doubled. Sam Strauss lined two balls sharply. None crossed the plate.

“It was one of those nights where the game keeps daring you to be cleaner,” one Sacramento coach muttered afterward. “And we weren’t.”

The dare came due in the seventh. Gray left a pitch over the inner half, and Heriberto Morales drilled a two-run double, his 23rd of the season, instantly turning a taut stalemate into a deficit. Seattle’s bullpen slammed the door — Gallegos bridged, Pallo saved his 24th — and the Prayers walked off frustrated but unshaken.

“You get nine hits and a big fat zero on the scoreboard, you start wondering if the park is haunted,” manager Jimmy Aces told the Chronicle post-game. “Russ gave us a winning effort. We gave him a nap.”

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

[b]SATURDAY, AUGUST 6 — Sacramento 9, Seattle 6[/B]

The Seventh Inning Salute

Saturday saw the Prayers reclaim their dignity with a 9-6 victory, though it wasn't without its tensions. Jordan Rubalcava (17-3) struggled by his own high standards, surrendering five runs in six innings, but the offense finally woke up in a violent way. The response arrived quickly — and loudly — in the second inning.

Sam Strauss lashed a two-run triple off Ryan Miller to open the scoring, setting the tone for a night defined by pressure and payoff. Sacramento put 14 hits on the board, went 4-for-6 with runners in scoring position, and answered Seattle’s lone surge with a knockout counterpunch.

Hector Iniguez authored the turning point. The DH went 2-for-4 with a homer, a walk, three runs scored, and two RBIs, anchoring a seventh inning that turned a one-run game into separation. He wasn’t alone. Edwin Musco and Fernando Hernandez went back-to-back, Valadez doubled twice, and the Prayers piled on four runs in the seventh — all coming off Fogaa, who surrendered three homers in 27 pitches. “When Edwin (Musco) hits one, it's like a signal fire,” Iniguez said. “I saw him round the bases and I thought, 'Yeah, it’s our turn now.'”

Seattle made its push in the sixth with five runs, tagging Rubalcava for the first time in weeks. Even then, the numbers told a steadier story: Rubalcava still struck out six, and Sacramento’s bullpen allowed just one run over the final three innings.

“That inning could’ve tilted the night,” Strauss said. “But we didn’t flinch. That’s when you find out who you are.”

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7 — Sacramento 15, Seattle 2

The Liston Masterpiece

By the end of series Prayers were done with subtleties. Sunday wasn't a baseball game; it was an eviction notice. Sacramento decimated Seattle 15-2 in a game that saw the Prayers rack up 21 hits.

Camden Liston delivered one of the loudest individual performances of the season — 5-for-5, five RBIs, 10 total bases, and a spot in the American League record book. He singled, tripled, doubled the pressure inning by inning, and capped the night with a ninth-inning homer that felt almost ceremonial.

Behind him came a flood: 21 hits, runs in six different innings, and contributions top to bottom. Luis Martinez went 4-for-5 with two RBIs, Iniguez homered again, Strauss added three more hits, and Sacramento finished with eight extra-base hits while striking out just five times.

Fernando Salazar matched the tone on the mound. The ace worked a nine-inning complete game, allowing two runs on seven hits, no walks, and six strikeouts. He threw 75 strikes in 106 pitches, never let Seattle mount real traffic, and watched his defense turn everything behind him. In an era where bullpens are used like revolving doors, Salazar’s efficiency was a throwback to a grittier time.

“That’s what authority looks like,” Salazar said quietly. “You don’t chase the game. You make it come to you.”

Seattle manager Tony Sotelo put it more bluntly: “Liston was a tough out. Five of them, actually.”

It was a dark day for the Lucifers beyond the scoreboard. Both CF Carlos Vazquez and LF Heriberto Morales were forced from the game with injuries sustained while throwing — a testament to the sheer volume of defensive work Sacramento forced upon them.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

THE TAKEAWAY

Over the final two games, Sacramento outscored Seattle 24–8, hit .351 as a team, and reminded everyone why no margin ever feels safe against them — not late, not at home, not even after a shutout. The team, now 25.5 games over the .500, is immediately heading home to face desperate Fort Worth Spirits.

August didn’t begin gently. It began honestly. And by the end of the weekend, the Prayers had already turned it unmistakably in their direction. With the magic number for clinching the division shrinking daily, the city is already preparing for October.

12-20-2025, 08:12 PM	#76
liberty-ca Major Leagues Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: New Westminster, BC Posts: 376	BNN Series Recap — August 5–7, 1988 SACRAMENTO AT SEATTLE — Pacific Northwest Fireworks: Prayers Weather the Storm in Emerald City By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN) and Gemmy Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle Seattle greeted Sacramento with coastal cool and postseason urgency, and for one night, it worked. By Sunday, it didn’t. The Sacramento Prayers (84-33) arrived in Seattle this week expecting a fight, and for the first nine innings, it looked like the "Emerald City" might actually be the place where the Prayers' divine luck finally ran out. But as this team has shown all summer, you can only keep them in the dark for so long before they find the light switch — and in the series finale, they didn't just find it; they blew the fuses out of the entire stadium. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ FRIDAY, AUGUST 5 — Seattle 2, Sacramento 0 Pitching chess, one mistake too many Friday was a statistical anomaly that left Sacramento fans scratching their heads. The Prayers out-hit the Seattle Lucifers 9 to 5, yet walked off the field with a 2-0 shutout loss. For six and a half innings, this game belonged to the margins. Russ Gray and Edwin Gaytan traded clean frames and quiet confidence, the kind of duel where every at-bat felt like it might be the one that mattered. Gray scattered five hits across eight innings and threw 62 strikes in 97 pitches. Gaytan was no less exacting: 6⅔ scoreless, four strikeouts, one walk, and a steady diet of weak contact that kept Sacramento from converting traffic into damage. The Prayers collected nine hits and four walks but stranded 11 runners, including repeated missed chances with two outs. Ben Perez went 3-for-4 with a walk. Hector Iniguez doubled. Sam Strauss lined two balls sharply. None crossed the plate. “It was one of those nights where the game keeps daring you to be cleaner,” one Sacramento coach muttered afterward. “And we weren’t.” The dare came due in the seventh. Gray left a pitch over the inner half, and Heriberto Morales drilled a two-run double, his 23rd of the season, instantly turning a taut stalemate into a deficit. Seattle’s bullpen slammed the door — Gallegos bridged, Pallo saved his 24th — and the Prayers walked off frustrated but unshaken. “You get nine hits and a big fat zero on the scoreboard, you start wondering if the park is haunted,” manager Jimmy Aces told the Chronicle post-game. “Russ gave us a winning effort. We gave him a nap.” ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ [b]SATURDAY, AUGUST 6 — Sacramento 9, Seattle 6[/B] The Seventh Inning Salute Saturday saw the Prayers reclaim their dignity with a 9-6 victory, though it wasn't without its tensions. Jordan Rubalcava (17-3) struggled by his own high standards, surrendering five runs in six innings, but the offense finally woke up in a violent way. The response arrived quickly — and loudly — in the second inning. Sam Strauss lashed a two-run triple off Ryan Miller to open the scoring, setting the tone for a night defined by pressure and payoff. Sacramento put 14 hits on the board, went 4-for-6 with runners in scoring position, and answered Seattle’s lone surge with a knockout counterpunch. Hector Iniguez authored the turning point. The DH went 2-for-4 with a homer, a walk, three runs scored, and two RBIs, anchoring a seventh inning that turned a one-run game into separation. He wasn’t alone. Edwin Musco and Fernando Hernandez went back-to-back, Valadez doubled twice, and the Prayers piled on four runs in the seventh — all coming off Fogaa, who surrendered three homers in 27 pitches. “When Edwin (Musco) hits one, it's like a signal fire,” Iniguez said. “I saw him round the bases and I thought, 'Yeah, it’s our turn now.'” Seattle made its push in the sixth with five runs, tagging Rubalcava for the first time in weeks. Even then, the numbers told a steadier story: Rubalcava still struck out six, and Sacramento’s bullpen allowed just one run over the final three innings. “That inning could’ve tilted the night,” Strauss said. “But we didn’t flinch. That’s when you find out who you are.” ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ SUNDAY, AUGUST 7 — Sacramento 15, Seattle 2 The Liston Masterpiece By the end of series Prayers were done with subtleties. Sunday wasn't a baseball game; it was an eviction notice. Sacramento decimated Seattle 15-2 in a game that saw the Prayers rack up 21 hits. Camden Liston delivered one of the loudest individual performances of the season — 5-for-5, five RBIs, 10 total bases, and a spot in the American League record book. He singled, tripled, doubled the pressure inning by inning, and capped the night with a ninth-inning homer that felt almost ceremonial. Behind him came a flood: 21 hits, runs in six different innings, and contributions top to bottom. Luis Martinez went 4-for-5 with two RBIs, Iniguez homered again, Strauss added three more hits, and Sacramento finished with eight extra-base hits while striking out just five times. Fernando Salazar matched the tone on the mound. The ace worked a nine-inning complete game, allowing two runs on seven hits, no walks, and six strikeouts. He threw 75 strikes in 106 pitches, never let Seattle mount real traffic, and watched his defense turn everything behind him. In an era where bullpens are used like revolving doors, Salazar’s efficiency was a throwback to a grittier time. “That’s what authority looks like,” Salazar said quietly. “You don’t chase the game. You make it come to you.” Seattle manager Tony Sotelo put it more bluntly: “Liston was a tough out. Five of them, actually.” It was a dark day for the Lucifers beyond the scoreboard. Both CF Carlos Vazquez and LF Heriberto Morales were forced from the game with injuries sustained while throwing — a testament to the sheer volume of defensive work Sacramento forced upon them. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ THE TAKEAWAY Over the final two games, Sacramento outscored Seattle 24–8, hit .351 as a team, and reminded everyone why no margin ever feels safe against them — not late, not at home, not even after a shutout. The team, now 25.5 games over the .500, is immediately heading home to face desperate Fort Worth Spirits. August didn’t begin gently. It began honestly. And by the end of the weekend, the Prayers had already turned it unmistakably in their direction. With the magic number for clinching the division shrinking daily, the city is already preparing for October. Last edited by liberty-ca; 12-20-2025 at 08:15 PM.