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liberty-ca · 12-22-2025, 07:13 PM

BNN SERIES RECAP — SEPTEMBER 13–15, 1988
SACRAMENTO AT FORT WORTH — “CONTROLLED VIOLENCE”
By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN) and Gemmy Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle

FORT WORTH — Everything is Bigger in Texas — Including the Win Column. Sacramento arrived at Spirits Grounds with the division already in hand and left having delivered a quiet reminder of why September is no longer a race for them — it’s a rehearsal.

The Sacramento Prayers (109-44) didn't just visit the Lone Star State this week; they occupied it. In a three-game dismantling of the Fort Worth Spirits, Sacramento pushed their season win total to a staggering 109 games.

While the headline is the sweep, the subtext is the resilience of a roster that refuses to slow down, regardless of who is in the trainer’s room. From blowout power displays to surgical shutouts, the Prayers are proving they have multiple ways to beat you. Three games, three wins. Different shapes, same ending.

★ ★ ★

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 — PRAYERS 11, SPIRITS 2

Valadez ignites, Salazar steadies

Tuesday night was a clinic in "aggressive" baseball, as manager Jimmy Aces put it. The opener didn’t tilt until it snapped. Through three innings Sacramento probed, and in the fourth they broke Fort Worth. After a quiet start, the Prayers' bats exploded for six runs in the 5th inning. In a rare display of back-to-back-to-back dominance, Alex Mendoza, Andres Valadez, and Sam Strauss all cleared the fences in the same frame.

A two-out, run-scoring single by Héctor Iniguez flipped a 2–1 deficit into momentum, and by the time the fifth inning ended, the Prayers had effectively ended the contest with a six-run eruption featuring three home runs in a four-batter span.

Andres Valadez was everywhere:

* 2-for-4, HR, double, walk
* 3 RBI, 6 total bases
* Player of the Game

Behind him, Sam Strauss went deep, Alberto Mendoza drove in three, and Sacramento piled up 12 hits and 6 walks, chasing Fort Worth pitching into mismatch territory.

On the mound, Fernando Salazar wasn’t overpowering — 4 strikeouts, 109 pitches, Game Score 59 — but he was economical when it mattered. After allowing a second-inning homer, he stranded seven runners over the next five frames and handed the bullpen an easy bridge.

“We didn’t wait for the game to come to us,” Salazar said. “Once the door cracked, we kicked it.”

Sacramento scored 10 runs between the 4th and 7th innings. Fort Worth never scored again.

★ ★ ★

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 — PRAYERS 4, SPIRITS 0

Andretti reduces the game

If Tuesday was blunt force, Wednesday was subtraction — if Tuesday was about the hammer, Wednesday was about the scalpel.
With several regular starters resting or recovering, Ricardo Aguirre seized his opportunity in the leadoff spot, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. It was a "pro’s game" — efficient, quiet, and utterly dominant.

Bernardo Andretti turned in perhaps his finest performance of the season, scattering three lonely hits over eight scoreless innings and carving Fort Worth down to its essentials:

* 8 shutout innings
* 3 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
* 101 pitches,
* Record: 18–8, ERA trimmed to 3.42

The Spirits never advanced a runner past second.
Offensively, Sacramento did just enough — and that was more than enough.

* Ramon Aguirre: 3-for-4, double, 2 RBI
* Ben Perez: RBI single
* Sam Strauss: RBI single, SB

Sacramento stole four bases, forced Fort Worth into defensive compression, and turned a one-run game into a controlled glide path.

“We didn’t try to light the place up,” Andretti said. “I wanted them to feel every out.”

★ ★ ★

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 — PRAYERS 4, SPIRITS 3

Strauss, Rubbi, and the mess that still wins

The series finale was a "grit" game in every sense of the word. The big news broke before the first pitch: Edwin Musco is back. The star second baseman returned to the lineup, collecting a hit and a walk, a sight that surely breathed life back into the Sacramento dugout. Sacramento made five errors. Fort Worth took an early punch with a two-run homer. The game twisted instead of flowed. And Sacramento still won.

Sam Strauss authored the spine of it:

* 3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs
* His 20th home run of the season
* Player of the Game

After Fort Worth tied it in the seventh, Jose Rubbi — hitless to that point — delivered the defining swing: a run-scoring single that put Sacramento ahead for good.

“It wasn’t pretty,” Strauss admitted. “But pretty doesn’t travel. Grit does.”

On the mound, Russ Gray absorbed the mess — 6 innings, 0 walks, 87 pitches — and the bullpen closed ranks behind him. Luis Prieto locked down save No. 38, needing just 16 pitches to end it.

Sacramento left 11 runners on base, committed errors at three positions, and still dictated the final inning without drama.

That’s what control looks like when it’s internal.

★ ★ ★

SERIES SNAPSHOT

Record: 3–0
Runs: 19 scored, 5 allowed
Starters’ ERA: 2.31
Home Runs: 6
Stolen Bases: 7
Save Opportunities: 1 (converted)

★ ★ ★

Gemmy’s Take: The Cost of the Grind

The 109-44 record is the envy of the baseball world, but the five errors on Thursday suggest that the mental fatigue of this historic chase might be creeping in. However, seeing Musco back on the field changes the entire complexion of the upcoming postseason.

The Prayers are now 18.5 games up in the AL West. At this point, they aren't playing against the Spirits or the Lucifers; they are playing against the record books.

12-22-2025, 07:13 PM	#92
liberty-ca Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: New Westminster, BC Posts: 219	BNN SERIES RECAP — SEPTEMBER 13–15, 1988 SACRAMENTO AT FORT WORTH — “CONTROLLED VIOLENCE” By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN) and Gemmy Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle FORT WORTH — Everything is Bigger in Texas — Including the Win Column. Sacramento arrived at Spirits Grounds with the division already in hand and left having delivered a quiet reminder of why September is no longer a race for them — it’s a rehearsal. The Sacramento Prayers (109-44) didn't just visit the Lone Star State this week; they occupied it. In a three-game dismantling of the Fort Worth Spirits, Sacramento pushed their season win total to a staggering 109 games. While the headline is the sweep, the subtext is the resilience of a roster that refuses to slow down, regardless of who is in the trainer’s room. From blowout power displays to surgical shutouts, the Prayers are proving they have multiple ways to beat you. Three games, three wins. Different shapes, same ending. ★ ★ ★ TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 — PRAYERS 11, SPIRITS 2 Valadez ignites, Salazar steadies Tuesday night was a clinic in "aggressive" baseball, as manager Jimmy Aces put it. The opener didn’t tilt until it snapped. Through three innings Sacramento probed, and in the fourth they broke Fort Worth. After a quiet start, the Prayers' bats exploded for six runs in the 5th inning. In a rare display of back-to-back-to-back dominance, Alex Mendoza, Andres Valadez, and Sam Strauss all cleared the fences in the same frame. A two-out, run-scoring single by Héctor Iniguez flipped a 2–1 deficit into momentum, and by the time the fifth inning ended, the Prayers had effectively ended the contest with a six-run eruption featuring three home runs in a four-batter span. Andres Valadez was everywhere: * 2-for-4, HR, double, walk * 3 RBI, 6 total bases * Player of the Game Behind him, Sam Strauss went deep, Alberto Mendoza drove in three, and Sacramento piled up 12 hits and 6 walks, chasing Fort Worth pitching into mismatch territory. On the mound, Fernando Salazar wasn’t overpowering — 4 strikeouts, 109 pitches, Game Score 59 — but he was economical when it mattered. After allowing a second-inning homer, he stranded seven runners over the next five frames and handed the bullpen an easy bridge. “We didn’t wait for the game to come to us,” Salazar said. “Once the door cracked, we kicked it.” Sacramento scored 10 runs between the 4th and 7th innings. Fort Worth never scored again. ★ ★ ★ WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 — PRAYERS 4, SPIRITS 0 Andretti reduces the game If Tuesday was blunt force, Wednesday was subtraction — if Tuesday was about the hammer, Wednesday was about the scalpel. With several regular starters resting or recovering, Ricardo Aguirre seized his opportunity in the leadoff spot, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. It was a "pro’s game" — efficient, quiet, and utterly dominant. Bernardo Andretti turned in perhaps his finest performance of the season, scattering three lonely hits over eight scoreless innings and carving Fort Worth down to its essentials: * 8 shutout innings * 3 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts * 101 pitches, * Record: 18–8, ERA trimmed to 3.42 The Spirits never advanced a runner past second. Offensively, Sacramento did just enough — and that was more than enough. * Ramon Aguirre: 3-for-4, double, 2 RBI * Ben Perez: RBI single * Sam Strauss: RBI single, SB Sacramento stole four bases, forced Fort Worth into defensive compression, and turned a one-run game into a controlled glide path. “We didn’t try to light the place up,” Andretti said. “I wanted them to feel every out.” ★ ★ ★ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 — PRAYERS 4, SPIRITS 3 Strauss, Rubbi, and the mess that still wins The series finale was a "grit" game in every sense of the word. The big news broke before the first pitch: Edwin Musco is back. The star second baseman returned to the lineup, collecting a hit and a walk, a sight that surely breathed life back into the Sacramento dugout. Sacramento made five errors. Fort Worth took an early punch with a two-run homer. The game twisted instead of flowed. And Sacramento still won. Sam Strauss authored the spine of it: * 3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs * His 20th home run of the season * Player of the Game After Fort Worth tied it in the seventh, Jose Rubbi — hitless to that point — delivered the defining swing: a run-scoring single that put Sacramento ahead for good. “It wasn’t pretty,” Strauss admitted. “But pretty doesn’t travel. Grit does.” On the mound, Russ Gray absorbed the mess — 6 innings, 0 walks, 87 pitches — and the bullpen closed ranks behind him. Luis Prieto locked down save No. 38, needing just 16 pitches to end it. Sacramento left 11 runners on base, committed errors at three positions, and still dictated the final inning without drama. That’s what control looks like when it’s internal. ★ ★ ★ SERIES SNAPSHOT Record: 3–0 Runs: 19 scored, 5 allowed Starters’ ERA: 2.31 Home Runs: 6 Stolen Bases: 7 Save Opportunities: 1 (converted) ★ ★ ★ Gemmy’s Take: The Cost of the Grind The 109-44 record is the envy of the baseball world, but the five errors on Thursday suggest that the mental fatigue of this historic chase might be creeping in. However, seeing Musco back on the field changes the entire complexion of the upcoming postseason. The Prayers are now 18.5 games up in the AL West. At this point, they aren't playing against the Spirits or the Lucifers; they are playing against the record books. Last edited by liberty-ca; 12-22-2025 at 07:15 PM.