PRAYERS WEEKLY: JULY 15 – JULY 21, 1990
THE BLESSED STRETCH
Gemmy Nay (Sacramento Sports Chronicle) in collaboration with Chad G. Petey and C.O. Pilot (BNN)
If the baseball gods are indeed watching, they must be wearing white, green and gold this week. Sacramento opened it on the road before returning home for a pivotal homestand, finishing the stretch with four wins in six games. Strong starting pitching set the tone early, while the Prayers’ lineup showed timely power and late-game resilience as the club continued to press its advantage atop the American League West.
Following a flurry of trade activity that saw General Manager Jimmy Aces raid the coffers of the East Coast, the Sacramento Prayers returned to the Cathedral to prove that their dominance isn't just a result of savvy front-office accounting — it’s built on the shoulders of the most resilient pitching staff in the American League.
From the final echoes of the Brooklyn trip to a high-stakes showdown with the division-leading Long Beach Diablos, this week was a symphony of shutouts, late-inning heroics, and the spectacular debut of the Prayers' newest disciples.
★ ★ ★
Sunday, July 22 — at Brooklyn Priests
Sacramento 2, Brooklyn 1
Rubalcava’s Eight‑Inning Gem Steadies Road Trip
Before the trades were even finalized, Jordan Rubalcava provided a reminder of why he is the bedrock of this rotation. In a hostile environment in Brooklyn, Rubalcava delivered one of his sharpest outings of the season, keeping the Priests’ bats in a state of perpetual frustration for eight innings in a tight 2–1 win Sunday at Priests Grounds. The right‑hander allowed just four hits and a lone mistake — a two‑out homer to Luke Reddick — while striking out seven and walking one.
Sacramento struck first in the seventh inning when George MacDonald launched a solo home run, his 14th, to break a 1–1 tie. An earlier run came on a two-out RBI single by Alex Velasquez, capitalizing on limited chances against Brooklyn starter Tomas Mendez.
Rubalcava improved to 11–6 before turning the game over to Steve Dodge, who entered in the 9th, looking every bit the cold-blooded closer the Prayers need, securing his fourth save in as many tries.
“We take it day by day here,” Rubalcava said. “Today was a good one for us.”
Sacramento improved to 62–37, stabilizing after a bruising stretch of injuries and bullpen strain. It was a professional, blue-collar win that set the tone for the journey home.
★ ★ ★
Tuesday, July 24 — vs. Long Beach Diablos
Sacramento 6, Long Beach 0
Andretti Dominates Again as Prayers Cruise in Series Opener
The Cathedral was electric for the arrival of the National League West-leading Diablos, but Bernardo Andretti quickly sucked the air out of the visitors’ dugout. Bernardo Andretti continued his torrid mid‑season run, firing 8⅓ scoreless innings in a crisp 6–0 shutout of the Diablos on Tuesday night at Sacramento Stadium. He scattered three hits over 8.1 innings, walking one and striking out five in a commanding performance.
The bats, perhaps energized by the home cooking, provided plenty of cushion. The Prayers struck early, getting solo home runs from Edwin Musco and Gil Cruz, who went long to the yard back‑to‑back in the first inning, staking Andretti to an early cushion. Alejandro Velasquez later blew the game open with a three‑run homer in the sixth.
Manager Jimmy Aces praised his starter afterward. “Bernardo pounded the strike zone and made good pitches when he needed to,” Aces said.
Andretti improved to 12–3 with a 2.36 ERA, as Prayers moved moved to 63–37. It wasn't just a win; it was a statement to the cross-league leaders that the road to the postseason runs through Sacramento.
★ ★ ★
Wednesday, July 25 — vs. Long Beach Diablos
Sacramento 3, Long Beach 0
Salazar’s Three‑Hitter Completes Back‑to‑Back Shutouts
Fernando Salazar followed Andretti’s lead with a masterpiece of his own, tossing a complete-game three-hit shutout. Salazar needed just 107 pitches, walking one and striking out four, rarely allowing the Diablos to mount any pressure.
Sacramento provided just enough offense. Gil Cruz homered in the fourth inning, and Hector Iniguez added a solo shot in the seventh. Edwin Musco chipped in an RBI single as the Prayers made their limited opportunities count.
Afterward, Salazar broke down his approach. “There are three important elements in pitching success: location, location, and location,” he said. “I was hitting my spots time and time again.”
The win secured the series against Long Beach and Prayers improved to 64–37, their rotation suddenly looking like the league’s most dangerous unit.
★ ★ ★
Thursday, July 26 — vs. Long Beach Diablos
Long Beach 6, Sacramento 4
Late Rally Falls Short as Villalobos Silences Bats
The quest for a sweep fell just short on Thursday as Robby Larson struggled to find his rhythm. The Diablos salvaged the finale behind right-hander Albert Villalobos, who worked 8.1 strong innings. Larson surrendered four earned runs over five innings, including a two-run blast to Kyle Thomas in the opening frame that put Sacramento in an immediate hole.
“I tried to mix it up, keep them off balance,” Villalobos said.
Despite the deficit, the Prayers refused to go quietly. In the bottom of the 9th, George MacDonald cleared the bases with a towering triple that brought the Cathedral to its feet and the Prayers within two. However, the comeback stalled there. It was a rare night where the pitching couldn't quite keep the lid on, but the fight shown in the final inning left the fans with their heads held high.
Despite the late fireworks, the Prayers slipped to 64–38.
★ ★ ★
Friday, July 27 — vs. Tucson Cherubs
Sacramento 4, Tucson 1
Rubalcava Sharp Again as Musco Stays Hot
Jordan Rubalcava delivered another strong outing Friday, holding Tucson to one run over 7⅓ innings in a 4–1 win at home.
Newly acquired left fielder Andy Hamilton, coming over from Brooklyn, made an immediate impact with a triple in the 5th inning that signaled a new chapter in his career. Edwin Musco homered in the first and doubled in the seventh, finishing with three hits and two RBI. Hector Iniguez added two doubles, and Alex Velasquez chipped in two hits. The only dark cloud was an injury to Alejandro Lopez, who left the game with a sore shoulder after a defensive play. Early reports suggest he is day-to-day, but his absence will be felt in center field.
A key defensive moment came in the eighth, when Tucson hit into a momentum-killing double play with runners at the corners. Sacramento continued to get steady contributions throughout the lineup, finishing with 14 hits.
Luis Prieto recorded save No. 25, and Sacramento climbed to 65–38.
★ ★ ★
Saturday, July 28 — vs. Tucson Cherubs
Sacramento 6, Tucson 5 (12 innings)
Hernandez’s Walk‑Off Sac Fly Caps Wild Extra‑Inning Battle
If there were any doubts about the Alex Torres trade, they were erased in twelve innings of high-drama baseball on Saturday. Making his full debut at the Cathedral, Alex Torres put the team on his back, going 2-for-5 with a massive three-run home run in the 6th that gave Sacramento a temporary lead.
The game turned into a marathon after Luis Prieto suffered a rare blown save in the 9th, but the Prayers' bullpen — led by Chris Ryan — held the line through the extra frames. In the bottom of the 12th, with the bases loaded and the tension at a breaking point, Francisco Hernandez lofted a sacrifice fly to deep right field. As the winning run crossed the plate, the celebration at home plate centered around Torres and Hernandez, proving that the chemistry of this new-look roster is already bubbling over.
“It’s great when the crowd gets into it,” Hernandez said.
The Prayers finished the week 66–38, maintaining firm control of the AL West.
★ ★ ★
LEAGUE-WIDE BULLETIN: SHOCKING NEWS FROM SAN JOSE
While Sacramento celebrates, their closest divisional rivals are mourning a massive loss. The
San Jose Demons have announced that star player
Raul Pavia will be sidelined for at least five months. In a bizarre turn of events, Pavia was reportedly injured while "attempting to make amends for violating anti-doping rules." Faced with a barrage of questions from the media, San Jose officials refused to provide any further details about circumstances of the incident.
Pavia, who was hitting .288 with 6 home runs, was the engine of the San Jose offense. With the Demons already trailing Sacramento by 11 games in the standings, this injury effectively cripples their hopes of a late-season surge. The AL West is now firmly in the Prayers' control, provided they stay healthy.
★ ★ ★
FAN MAIL — QUESTIONS FROM THE FRONT PEW
Dear Gemmy,
I saw that we gave up a lot of draft picks to the Saints just to get a minor league catcher and some cash. Isn't that mortgaging our future? We already have Alonzo and Vieyra!
— Future-Focused Fred
Gemmy: Fred, I hear you, but look at the "Ledger" of talent. Jimmy Aces didn't just get cash; he cleared the logjam at second base by moving Damien Garcia, who was redundant the moment Alex Torres stepped off the plane. The draft picks we gave up were high, but the picks we got back from the Saints are in the same rounds. It’s a reshuffle, not a firesale. Plus, having $800,000 in the bank means we can actually afford to keep our stars when their contracts come due. Trust the process!
Dear Gemmy,
Is Andy Hamilton going to start every day in centre field, or is he just a bench piece? I liked Velasquez out there!
— Left Field Larry
Gemmy: Larry, Hamilton didn't come here to sit. With his veteran experience and that triple he clocked on Friday, he’s earned the look. Velasquez is still a vital part of this "Blessed" lineup, but having Hamilton's bat gives Jimmy Aces the flexibility to play the matchups. And don't forget — defensively Hamilton is a fortress. In a long season, you can never have too many "professional" hitters.
★ ★ ★
GEMMY’S TAKE
There are weeks where the Prayers feel like they’re sprinting, and weeks where they’re just putting their heads down and chewing through innings like it’s a long road trip with bad coffee. This was very much the second kind — and honestly, those are usually the good ones.
The pitching carried the vibe. When Rubalcava is doing his calm, businesslike thing, the rest of the team tends to follow suit. No theatrics, no drama, just ground balls, fly outs, and everyone back to the dugout wondering how the inning ended so fast. Andretti and Salazar piling on shutouts right after that felt borderline rude to the opposition, but I’m not here to apologize.
Offensively, this wasn’t a week about fireworks shows. It was more like professional annoyance — solo homers at inconvenient times, a bases-loaded triple just to ruin someone’s evening, and enough late-inning at-bats that opposing relievers probably checked their watches more than once. That Saturday walk-off? Classic July baseball. Nobody’s fresh, everyone’s tired, and the winning run comes home on a sac fly instead of a moonshot. Beautiful stuff.
What I liked most is that nothing about this week felt forced. The Prayers didn’t chase style points. They didn’t try to win the standings in one night. They just… won games. That’s usually how good teams look before you realize they’ve quietly opened up a cushion.
The Prayers exit this week with a
66-38 record and a winning percentage of
.635. They are the class of the American League, and with the new additions of Torres and Hamilton already producing, the "Sacramento Magic" shows no signs of fading. The division lead is a comfortable 11 games, and with San Jose losing one of their best players, the path to the postseason is wide open.
July doesn’t crown champions — but it absolutely exposes pretenders. Sacramento still looks very comfortable in its own skin, and that might be the most reassuring thing of all. Keep the faith, Sacramento. The best is yet to come.