Prayers One Step from Heaven: Sacramento Hits 99 Wins After Columbus Sweep
By Gemmy Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle
SACRAMENTO — There is a special kind of magic in the air at Sacramento Stadium this week. The
Sacramento Prayers didn't just welcome the
Columbus Heaven to town; they systematically dismantled them. With a three-game sweep that concluded Friday night, the Prayers have extended their winning streak to six games and reached a staggering
99-42 record.
One more win. Just one more, and this team hits the century mark. But beyond the milestones, the real story of this series was the return of a hero and the emergence of a "Slammin' Sam."
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Wednesday: The Return of the Ace (Sacramento 4, Columbus 1)
The biggest collective sigh of relief in Sacramento history occurred in the first inning on Wednesday night.
Russ Gray, who gave everyone a scare after leaving his last start with an injury, looked like he hadn't missed a beat. Gray carved through the Columbus lineup, tossing 6.2 innings of one-run ball.
- The Turning Point: In the 6th, Columbus threatened with two on and one out, but Gray induced a massive double play from Jared Roark to kill the rally.
- The Closer: Luis Prieto locked down his 34th save.
- Note: Columbus lost shortstop Jonathan Lara early to an ejection, which certainly didn't help their cause.
Thursday: Rubalcava Eyes Twenty (Sacramento 4, Columbus 2)
Jordan Rubalcava continued his march toward a historic 20-win season on Thursday. He wasn't perfect, scattering eight hits over eight innings, but he was incredibly resilient. Rubalcava moved to
19-4 on the year, proving why he’s a Cy Young frontrunner.
- The Power: Sam Strauss launched his 12th home run of the year, signaling that his bat was starting to wake up.
- The Speed: The Prayers were aggressive on the basepaths, swiping four bags, including Felix Hernandez’s 38th of the season.
Friday: The Sam Strauss Show (Sacramento 7, Columbus 1)
If Thursday was a wake-up call for
Sam Strauss, Friday was a full-blown alarm. Strauss dismantled Columbus pitching, launching
two home runs and driving in three. When Strauss is hitting like this, this lineup becomes essentially unpitchable.
- Salazar’s Stability: Fernando Salazar earned his 16th win with a gritty 7.2-inning performance.
- The Avalanche: A five-run 3rd inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Alex Velasquez, effectively ended the contest early.
- Injury Note: The injury bug that hit Sacramento last week seems to have migrated to the visitors; Columbus saw star Josh Eichelman leave the game after an injury on the bases.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The "Road to 100" Tracker
The Prayers are now sitting at 99 wins. To put that in perspective, they are playing
.702 baseball.
Key Performers this Series:
- Sam Strauss: 3 HR, 4 RBI in two days.
- Russ Gray: Proved the rotation is healthy heading into the stretch.
- Luis Prieto: 2-for-2 in save opportunities (now 35 for 39).
"Our guys are never satisfied," manager Jimmy Aces told us after Friday's win. That hunger is palpable. The division title is all but a formality now — the real question is how high this win total can go before the playoffs begin.