OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - Sacramento Prayers

liberty-ca · 12-22-2025, 11:09 PM

BNN SERIES RECAP — SEPTEMBER 16–18, 1988
WASHINGTON AT SACRAMENTO — “THREE DAYS, THREE MOODS”
By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN) and Gemmie Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle

The Sacramento Prayers officially crossed the historic 110-win threshold this weekend, but the champagne remains on ice. Sacramento Stadium spent the weekend cycling through disbelief, frustration, and finally quiet appreciation. The Washington Devils — buried in the standings, playing out the string — arrived with nothing to lose. What should have been a celebratory series against the bottom-dwelling Washington Devils (60-96) turned into a grinding, three-day struggle that saw the Prayers drop two of three and, more importantly, lose a key piece of their rotation to the training room.

★ ★ ★

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 — Devils Steal One in the 11th (Washington 6, Sacramento 5)

This one felt harmless until it wasn’t.

Sacramento landed early punches — two Alex Mendoza home runs, a steady middle innings grind — and still found itself scrambling as Washington refused to go away. Tyler Stevenson authored the first warning shot, a three-run homer in the fifth that flipped a 3–2 deficit into a Devils lead and drew an uneasy murmur from the crowd of 22,510.

The Prayers clawed back late. Edwin Musco and Alex Velasquez went back-to-back in the eighth, briefly restoring order and sending Sacramento Stadium into its familiar late-inning roar. But extra innings have been Sacramento’s quiet vulnerability all season, and Friday confirmed it again.

Matt Cooper silenced everything with one swing — a clean, no-doubt homer off Luis Prieto in the 11th. It was only Cooper’s hit of the night, but it landed with surgical precision.

“Those games hurt because you feel like you’ve already won them,” Musco said afterward, towel draped over his shoulders. “But that’s baseball. You leave the door open, somebody walks through.”

David Garza’s uneven start forced early bullpen traffic, and while Ed Kukuk and Gil Caliari steadied the middle innings admirably, the margin never felt safe. Sacramento fell to 109–45, and the loss lingered longer than it should have.

★ ★ ★

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 — A Rare Double Gut Punch (Washington 4, Sacramento 3)

If Friday felt like a fluke, Saturday felt uncomfortable.

Jordan Rubalcava was sharp early, carving through Washington’s order with his usual economy, but everything unraveled in the sixth when Chris Ryan couldn’t put out a growing fire. Two triples. Three runs. A sudden 3–3 game that never felt level again.

Edwin Musco briefly lifted the stadium with a three-run homer in the third — his 29th of the year — a reminder of the offense’s latent violence. But Jon Cuen, pitching like a man auditioning for relevance, smothered Sacramento the rest of the way. Eight innings. Three runs. Zero earned.

The decisive moment came quietly in the ninth. Scott Fragala’s sacrifice fly — not a hit, not a blast — nudged Washington ahead for good. Matt Wright absorbed the loss, his first stumble in weeks.

More concerning than the score was the news that followed: Jordan Rubalcava exited with an injury, a moment that sucked the air out of the afternoon.

“We’re hopeful,” manager Jimmy Aces said carefully. “But we won’t gamble with him. Not now.”

For a team built on rotation dominance, even a short-term Rubalcava question mark registered loudly.

★ ★ ★

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 — Salazar Restores the Order (Sacramento 1, Washington 0)

No drama. No margin for error. Just pitching.

With a potential sweep looming, Fernando Salazar reminded everyone why he is a Cy Young candidate. Salazar delivered one of those performances that doesn’t beg for attention — it demands respect. Eight scoreless innings. Three hits. No wasted pitches. The Devils never advanced beyond second base against him, and even that felt accidental.

“Fernando didn’t pitch angry,” Jimmy Aces said. “He pitched serious. That’s different.”

The lone run came in the sixth, scratched together without spectacle. Hector Iniguez lined a two-out RBI single — fitting, understated — and that was enough. Luis Prieto closed the door cleanly in the ninth for his 39th save, restoring a sense of inevitability that had gone missing.

The crowd rose, not explosively, but appreciatively. They knew what they’d seen.

“It’s the kind of game you remember in October,” Salazar said. “Because everything matters. One pitch, one swing, one mistake.”

Sacramento finished the series 1–2, moving to 110–46 — still firmly atop the AL West, still statistically dominant, but reminded that sharpness isn’t automatic.

★ ★ ★

Series Observations

The Rotation Health: All eyes are on the trainer’s room. With the postseason approaching, any extended absence for Rubalcava could shift the Prayers' October strategy.

Musco’s Milestone Watch: Edwin Musco sits at 29 home runs. One more will make him the second Prayers player to hit the 30-HR mark this season.

The "Devils" in the Details: Washington might be 36 games under .500, but they outplayed Sacramento for 20 of the 29 innings played this weekend.

12-22-2025, 11:09 PM	#93
liberty-ca Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: New Westminster, BC Posts: 219	BNN SERIES RECAP — SEPTEMBER 16–18, 1988 WASHINGTON AT SACRAMENTO — “THREE DAYS, THREE MOODS” By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN) and Gemmie Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle The Sacramento Prayers officially crossed the historic 110-win threshold this weekend, but the champagne remains on ice. Sacramento Stadium spent the weekend cycling through disbelief, frustration, and finally quiet appreciation. The Washington Devils — buried in the standings, playing out the string — arrived with nothing to lose. What should have been a celebratory series against the bottom-dwelling Washington Devils (60-96) turned into a grinding, three-day struggle that saw the Prayers drop two of three and, more importantly, lose a key piece of their rotation to the training room. ★ ★ ★ FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 — Devils Steal One in the 11th (Washington 6, Sacramento 5) This one felt harmless until it wasn’t. Sacramento landed early punches — two Alex Mendoza home runs, a steady middle innings grind — and still found itself scrambling as Washington refused to go away. Tyler Stevenson authored the first warning shot, a three-run homer in the fifth that flipped a 3–2 deficit into a Devils lead and drew an uneasy murmur from the crowd of 22,510. The Prayers clawed back late. Edwin Musco and Alex Velasquez went back-to-back in the eighth, briefly restoring order and sending Sacramento Stadium into its familiar late-inning roar. But extra innings have been Sacramento’s quiet vulnerability all season, and Friday confirmed it again. Matt Cooper silenced everything with one swing — a clean, no-doubt homer off Luis Prieto in the 11th. It was only Cooper’s hit of the night, but it landed with surgical precision. “Those games hurt because you feel like you’ve already won them,” Musco said afterward, towel draped over his shoulders. “But that’s baseball. You leave the door open, somebody walks through.” David Garza’s uneven start forced early bullpen traffic, and while Ed Kukuk and Gil Caliari steadied the middle innings admirably, the margin never felt safe. Sacramento fell to 109–45, and the loss lingered longer than it should have. ★ ★ ★ SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 — A Rare Double Gut Punch (Washington 4, Sacramento 3) If Friday felt like a fluke, Saturday felt uncomfortable. Jordan Rubalcava was sharp early, carving through Washington’s order with his usual economy, but everything unraveled in the sixth when Chris Ryan couldn’t put out a growing fire. Two triples. Three runs. A sudden 3–3 game that never felt level again. Edwin Musco briefly lifted the stadium with a three-run homer in the third — his 29th of the year — a reminder of the offense’s latent violence. But Jon Cuen, pitching like a man auditioning for relevance, smothered Sacramento the rest of the way. Eight innings. Three runs. Zero earned. The decisive moment came quietly in the ninth. Scott Fragala’s sacrifice fly — not a hit, not a blast — nudged Washington ahead for good. Matt Wright absorbed the loss, his first stumble in weeks. More concerning than the score was the news that followed: Jordan Rubalcava exited with an injury, a moment that sucked the air out of the afternoon. “We’re hopeful,” manager Jimmy Aces said carefully. “But we won’t gamble with him. Not now.” For a team built on rotation dominance, even a short-term Rubalcava question mark registered loudly. ★ ★ ★ SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 — Salazar Restores the Order (Sacramento 1, Washington 0) No drama. No margin for error. Just pitching. With a potential sweep looming, Fernando Salazar reminded everyone why he is a Cy Young candidate. Salazar delivered one of those performances that doesn’t beg for attention — it demands respect. Eight scoreless innings. Three hits. No wasted pitches. The Devils never advanced beyond second base against him, and even that felt accidental. “Fernando didn’t pitch angry,” Jimmy Aces said. “He pitched serious. That’s different.” The lone run came in the sixth, scratched together without spectacle. Hector Iniguez lined a two-out RBI single — fitting, understated — and that was enough. Luis Prieto closed the door cleanly in the ninth for his 39th save, restoring a sense of inevitability that had gone missing. The crowd rose, not explosively, but appreciatively. They knew what they’d seen. “It’s the kind of game you remember in October,” Salazar said. “Because everything matters. One pitch, one swing, one mistake.” Sacramento finished the series 1–2, moving to 110–46 — still firmly atop the AL West, still statistically dominant, but reminded that sharpness isn’t automatic. ★ ★ ★ Series Observations The Rotation Health: All eyes are on the trainer’s room. With the postseason approaching, any extended absence for Rubalcava could shift the Prayers' October strategy. Musco’s Milestone Watch: Edwin Musco sits at 29 home runs. One more will make him the second Prayers player to hit the 30-HR mark this season. The "Devils" in the Details: Washington might be 36 games under .500, but they outplayed Sacramento for 20 of the 29 innings played this weekend.