Sacramento Prayers - 1988 FLB Season

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By Gemmie Nye,Sacramento Sports Chronicle

The historic start to the Sacramento Prayers' season hit its first real speed bump in Tucson, as the Cherubs claimed the final two games of the series with consecutive extra-inning walk-off wins. The Prayers, who finished April 22-3, have started May 0-2, dropping their record to 22-5. The bullpen, already a concern due to recent injuries, showed signs of vulnerability.

Game 1: Cherubs Snatch Win on Barrios Single (May 1st)

The Prayers dropped the second game of the series, 3-2, in 10 innings.

• Pitching Masterpiece Overlooked: Starting pitcher Fernando Salazar was magnificent, going 9.1 innings and allowing only 3 runs (2 earned). He threw 107 pitches and recorded 15 ground outs, earning Player of the Game honors despite the tough loss.
• The Decisive Blow: The game was decided in the bottom of the 10th when Tucson's Dave Barrios delivered a run-scoring single off Salazar to seal the walk-off victory for the Cherubs.
• Offense Stalls: Sacramento struggled to get runs across, stranding 8 runners. Only a Bret Perez 3-hit day and an Alex Velasquez triple provided consistent offense.

Game 2: Prieto Gives Up Walk-Off Homer (May 2nd)

Tucson completed the two-game sweep with another 10-inning victory, this time on a dramatic home run, defeating Sacramento 5-3.

• Closer Concern: The biggest news of the day was the performance of closer Luis Prieto (L, 1-2). After the bullpen had successfully navigated the 7th through 9th innings, Prieto entered in the 10th and immediately gave up a two-run, walk-off home run to Pat Bau, resulting in his second loss of the season. Given his recent injury while throwing the ball, this performance is a major red flag for the Prayers' late-game security.
• Perez Stays Hot: Third baseman Bret Perez continued to swing well, going 2-for-5 with two doubles and two stolen bases.
• Gilbert Solid: Starter Aaron Gilbert was named Player of the Game, giving the team 6.1 solid innings, allowing only two runs (two home runs).

May Begins With Two Straight Losses

The back-to-back extra-inning losses against the Cherubs mark the first time all season the Prayers have lost consecutive games. The team now heads home for a crucial series against the Brooklyn Brawlers, needing to regroup and reassess the state of its bullpen after the concerning outings by its star closer. The challenge now is to stop the skid before the team's commanding lead begins to shrink.

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PRAYERS DROP OPENER, ROAR BACK TO TAKE SERIES FROM BROOKLYN
By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN)

The long, charmed run of the Sacramento Prayers hit another bump on May 3, as the Brooklyn Priests stunned Sacramento with a seven-run ninth inning that handed the Prayers their third straight loss — their longest skid in almost two seasons.

But as elite teams do, Sacramento answered.
Behind Russ Gray’s brilliance and Jordan Rubalcava’s complete-game gem, the Prayers steadied themselves, took the final two games, and improved to 24–6, preserving their league-best record.

GAME 1 — MAY 3
Brooklyn 9, Sacramento 5

Priests Erupt for Seven in the Ninth — Sacramento Melts Down Late

For eight innings, it was another classic Prayers blueprint: early power, steady pitching, enough cushion. Edwin Musco was unstoppable, going 4-for-5 with a homer, 2 RBI, 2 runs, and Sacramento held a 5–2 lead entering the ninth.

What followed was the worst inning of Sacramento’s season.

Luis Prieto — already coming off two heartbreakers in Tucson — imploded again. Brooklyn strung together hit after hit, capped by a devastating 2-run single from shortstop Ricky Mireles to break a 5–5 tie. By the time the dust settled, Brooklyn had hung seven runs on the board.

Sacramento’s late-inning bullpen woes had gone from concern to crisis in 72 painful hours.

“Getting a lot of baserunners and getting some timely hits, it’s a good combination,” Mireles said afterward, adding understatement to injury.

The only positive: Musco’s monster night, and Jairo Rubbi’s crisp 2-for-3 showing.

But the story was about the collapse.
Three straight losses. A bullpen unraveling. A restless home crowd.

A test of the Prayers’ identity was coming.

GAME 2 — MAY 4
Sacramento 6, Brooklyn 1

Gray Ends the Skid, Murguia and Velasquez Supply the Firepower

All Sacramento needed was their ace.

AL Pitcher of the Month Russ Gray shoved Brooklyn back into place with an 8-inning, 7-strikeout, 3-hit masterpiece, improving to 6–0 with a 1.76 ERA. Every inning felt methodical, controlled, and borderline cruel.

Gray’s dominance restored order, and the offense reawakened:

• Eli Murguia: 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI — back to MVP form
  
• Alex Velasquez: a thunderous 3-run homer in the sixth
  
• A. Mendoza: a 3-hit night
  
• Sacramento pitching: allowed only five total baserunners through eight

Suddenly, the series was tied, the skid was over, and the Stadium had life again.

“We came out on top and that’s all I can ask for,” Gray said afterward.
One imagines the clubhouse asking for quite a bit more — Gray delivered all of it.

GAME 3 — MAY 5
Sacramento 7, Brooklyn 2

Rubalcava’s Complete Game and Musco’s Power Finish Off Priests

If Game 2 was a correction, Game 3 was an exclamation point.

Jordan Rubalcava threw the most efficient and composed outing of his season — a 113-pitch, 9-inning complete game that scattered five hits and two runs. He improved to 5–1, lowered his ERA to 1.81, and firmly re-established Sacramento’s rotation as the deepest in the AL.

The bats, meanwhile, continued their resurgence:

• Edwin Musco blasted another homer, a three-run shot in the seventh
  
• Alex Velasquez delivered four RBI, including a two-run single in the fourth and a two-run homer in the sixth
  
• Hector Iniguez collected three hits
  
• The Prayers scored in four separate innings, steadily overwhelming Brooklyn

After three days of turbulence, Sacramento closed the series with a reminder:

They are still the defending AL juggernaut.
They are still the class of the league.
And when the rotation sets the tone, they can bury teams fast.

“We’ve got a great group of guys,” Velasquez said. “We’re having fun right now.”

BIG PICTURE: SERIES TAKEAWAYS

1. The bullpen is officially a storyline.

Prieto’s week: 3 appearances, 3 losses, 9 earned runs.
Sacramento has the arms to recover — but confidence is shaken.

2. The lineup survived its slump.

From April 30 through May 2, the Prayers went 2-for-16 with RISP.
Versus Brooklyn?
They smashed five homers and hit .308 as a team.

3. The rotation is carrying this team.

• Gray (6–0, 1.76)
  
• Rubalcava (5–1, 1.81)
  
• Salazar (4–1, 2.30)
  
• Gilbert showing improvement

If they stay healthy, Sacramento remains unstoppable.

4. Sacramento stands at 24–6 — still historic.

Even with their first real turbulence, the Prayers remain on a 115-win pace, something no FBL team has ever accomplished.

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By Gemmie Nye,Sacramento Sports Chronicle

The Sacramento Prayers (24-6) finally steadied the ship this week, snapping a season-long three-game losing streak by taking two of three games against the Brooklyn Priests at home. After a concerning start to May, the team's two pitching aces delivered back-to-back dominant outings to restore order and remind the league why the Prayers hold the best record in baseball.

Closer Crisis Hits Hard

The three-game slide began with consecutive extra-inning walk-off losses in Tucson and culminated in a shocking defeat at home on May 3rd. The Prayers held a 5-2 lead over Brooklyn before the bullpen completely imploded, allowing the Priests to score seven runs in the top of the ninth inning in a demoralizing 9-5 loss.

The biggest story remains the struggles of closer Luis Prieto (L, 1-3), who suffered his second straight loss and second straight blown save. This stretch has highlighted the team's most immediate and critical weakness as they head back out on the road.

Musco’s Huge Day Wasted

The May 3rd loss overshadowed a phenomenal performance by second baseman Edwin Musco, who was named Player of the Game after going 4-for-5 with a Home Run (4) and two RBIs. Musco's hot hitting continued throughout the series.

Aces Step Up to Save the Series

When the team needed it most, the two April Player of the Month contenders, Russ Gray and Jordan Rubalcava, delivered legendary performances to halt the slide.

Gray Goes 6-0

On May 4th, Russ Gray (W, 6-0) proved he is the definition of an ace. He put the Brooklyn offense in a "vice grip," going 8.0 dominant innings and allowing just one run on three hits while striking out seven. His performance anchored a crucial 6-1 victory, improving his league-leading win total to 6-0 and snapping the team’s losing streak.

Rubalcava Hurls a Complete Game

Putting any lingering injury concerns to rest, Jordan Rubalcava (W, 5-1) was lights-out on May 5th. He tossed a masterful complete game, scattering five hits and leading the Prayers to a 7-2 win to clinch the series. Rubalcava's effort was vital, saving a beleaguered bullpen after its recent struggles.

Velasquez and Musco Torching the Ball

While the pitching aces grabbed the headlines, the offense was powered by two stars who exploded over the two wins:

• Alex Velasquez was a one-man wrecking crew, hitting a home run in both the May 4th and May 5th victories, driving in a combined 8 RBIs to jump to 22 RBIs on the year.
  
• Edwin Musco was equally hot, following up his 4-hit game with a Home Run (5) and three RBIs in the May 5th series finale.

The Prayers now stand at a magnificent 24-6 and head to San Jose to begin a tough road trip, hoping that the momentum from Gray and Rubalcava's victories carries them through while the bullpen issues get resolved.

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SACRAMENTO SENTIMENTS — FAN REACTION COLUMN

“What’s Going On With Prieto?”
By A Concerned Faithful

If you spent any time in the bleachers, the concourse lines, or the postgame radio call-ins after Tuesday’s collapse, you heard it: Sacramento fans are officially worried about Luis Prieto.

And not the polite kind of worry — the kind filled with long exhales, head-shakes, and that unmistakable Prayers-fan mix of loyalty and frustration.

“We love the guy, but this can’t keep happening.”

That’s the phrase I heard most walking out of Sacramento Stadium after the 9–5 loss, where Prieto entered a tied game in the ninth and left with a blown save and a five-run implosion on the ledger.

Is that harsh? Maybe. But Sacramento fans know what high standards look like — eight championships, generational pitchers, a bullpen lineage that includes Rascon, Lunsford, and Prieto himself. The bar isn’t low here. It never has been.

From trusted hammer to… what exactly?

Prieto’s 1988 line so far:

• 1–3 record
  
• Two blown saves in the first five weeks
  
• 5.14 ERA
  
• A worrying inability to miss bats or escape traffic

This isn’t the same Prieto who once strangled late innings for Sacramento’s 1987 champs. Fans see that. They feel it. And they’re starting to wonder if the Prayers are asking too much of him too early, too often, or simply too late in his career arc.

“It just feels like the drama is back when he comes in.”

One caller put it bluntly on KPRY’s postgame show:

“When Prieto jogs in now, I don’t sit back in my seat — I sit forward.”

That’s not the closer’s vibe. That’s the cardiac-closer vibe, and Sacramento has lived that life before. Nobody wants to go back.

Blown leads linger longer here

Sacramento Stadium is a place where fans remember everything — Musco’s postseason heroics, Velasquez’s recent tear, Salazar’s masterclass seasons. So when the bullpen coughs up a late lead in a game they’d largely controlled? It hits harder here. It feels like a violation of an unwritten civic contract.

You protect the lead, and we believe in you.
Break the contract, and the murmurs begin.

But it’s not all pitchforks and torches

For every fan ready to demote Prieto, there’s another saying what many forget:

• He’s still elite at inducing weak contact.
  
• His command wasn’t terrible — just poorly sequenced.
  
• He’s earned patience after years of brilliance.

And the loudest sentiment of all?

“He’ll figure it out. He always does.”

This city loves its flawed heroes. Prieto isn’t booed — he’s sighed at. There’s a difference. Fans want him to succeed not just for the standings, but because he feels like part of the Prayers’ identity.

Still, even the loyalists want to see adjustments:

• Fewer back-to-back outings
  
• A faster hook from the dugout
  
• Maybe a week in lower-leverage spots
  
• A reset of whatever mechanical hitch is dragging his fastball late

The Verdict from the stands

Sacramento isn’t ready to give up on Luis Prieto.

But Sacramento also isn’t blind.

He’s struggling. He’s hittable. He’s costing them games. And in a season where the Prayers are playing like a juggernaut, every blemish stands out more sharply.

Fans want answers, adjustments, and a version of Prieto that doesn’t send them lunging for their rally towels and blood-pressure medication.

Because if this team really is on track for another deep October run, one thing is painfully clear:

They need the old Prieto back. And soon.

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BNN NOTEBOOK — INSIDE THE PRAYERS’ ROOM

Clubhouse Mood Report: After the Brooklyn Series
By Daniela Morelos, BNN Sacramento Bureau

Three games against the Priests. Two convincing wins, one gut-punch loss, and a clubhouse that feels… complicated.

Not tense. Not rattled. But definitely humming with the low-grade hum of a team that knows it’s elite — and knows it still left something on the table this week.

Welcome to the Sacramento Prayers’ 1988 clubhouse mood: confident, irritated, and impatient in equal measure.

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Prayers Take Opener, Drop Series in San Jose
By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN)

The Sacramento Prayers rolled into San Jose riding a two-game winning streak and boasting the best record in baseball. They left with their first series loss since early May — and a reminder that even powerhouse teams can get bruised on the road.

Sacramento finished the three-game set 1–2, moving to 25–8 on the season.

FRIDAY, MAY 6 — PRAYERS 5, DEMONS 3

Hernandez Puts the Team on His Back

Francisco Hernandez delivered one of the finest individual performances of any Sacramento player this season — and rescued an exhausted pitching staff in the process.

He finished 4-for-5, with:

• 2 doubles
  
• 1 triple
  
• 3 RBI
  
• The game-winning two-run double in the 9th

His ninth-inning laser to right center broke a 3–3 tie and sealed Sacramento’s 25th win.

José Rubbi added two solo home runs to stay red-hot, but the pitching story was a balancing act:

• Fernando Salazar (7 IP, 3 ER) — kept the team in it
  
• Matt Wright — worked into and out of trouble
  
• Luis Prieto — shaky but secured save #11

Sacramento looked like a first-place club finding ways to win.

SATURDAY, MAY 7 — DEMONS 6, PRAYERS 2

Valle Overpowers Sacramento

This one turned fast.

Aaron Gilbert never found rhythm, giving up six runs in four innings, highlighted by a momentum-shifting two-run double from San Jose third baseman Chris James.

Sacramento’s offense never truly answered:

• Edwin Musco homered again (his 6th) and doubled
  
• Eli Murguia hit two singles
  
• The rest of the lineup combined for just three hits

The Demons rode starter Jesús Valle (8.1 IP, 2 ER) and a lively crowd to a comfortable win — and gave Sacramento one of its few straightforward losses of the season.

SUNDAY, MAY 8 — DEMONS 4, PRAYERS 1

San Jose Out-executes Sacramento in All Phases

Bernardo Andretti pitched well enough to keep things close — until the Demons landed three straight two-out punches:

• Ryan Thompson RBI double (5th)
  
• Jesus Reyes solo shot (6th)
  
• Alex Vieyra solo shot (7th)

The Prayers collected nine hits, but couldn’t string them together. They grounded into key double plays, chased bad pitches late, and left eight on base.

Rubbi’s solo homer (his 4th) was the lone Sacramento run.

San Jose’s execution was crisp, its bullpen airtight.

SERIES TAKEAWAYS

1. Hernandez is exploding.

He went 5-for-12 with four extra-base hits and four RBI. He played like a star.

2. The lineup cooled at the worst time.

Murguia, Velasquez, and Strauss — the engine of Sacramento’s depth — went a combined 4-for-33 in the series.

3. Andretti and Gilbert showed fatigue.

After a torrid April, both have increasingly labored in May.

4. Prieto stabilized.

After rough outings earlier in the week, Prieto delivered a clean ninth on Friday.

BIG PICTURE

Sacramento is still the best team in the American League (25–8, .758) and still on pace for a historic season. But this was the first real moment of turbulence since Opening Day.

If anything, the San Jose series felt like a midseason warning flare:

• Don’t coast.
  
• Don’t get predictable.
  
• Don’t hand away innings.

The Prayers head back out on the road with Baltimore next — and with a team eager to reassert control.

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Prayers Drop Series to Hot Demons on the Road
By Gemmie Nye,Sacramento Sports Chronicle

The Sacramento Prayers (25-8) suffered their first series loss of the season, dropping two of three games to the surging San Jose Demons at San Jose Grounds. The Demons, who entered the series on a six-game winning streak, extended their momentum by neutralizing the Prayers' offense and capitalizing on Sacramento's struggling pitching.

The team's record in May now stands at a concerning 3-4, though they still hold the best record in the American League.


Game 1: Hernandez & Rubbi Power Prayers to Win

The Prayers started the series strong with a dramatic 5-3 victory, thanks to a huge day from Francisco Hernandez.

• Hernandez Steals the Show: The center fielder was named Player of the Game, going 4-for-5 with a triple and two doubles, including a clutch 2-run double in the 9th inning to break a 3-3 tie. He finished with 3 RBIs.
• Rubbi's Power Surge: Catcher Jose Rubbi provided the early offense, smashing two solo home runs (3, 4) off Demons starter D. Kidder.
• Prieto's Redemption: Closer Luis Prieto pitched a clean 9th inning, earning his 11th save and providing a brief moment of relief for the bullpen.

Games 2 & 3: San Jose Pitching Dominates

The final two games saw the Prayers' offense stifled by quality starting pitching, resulting in a pair of losses.

• Gilbert Stumbles (Game 2): Starter Aaron Gilbert (L, 3-1) had his worst outing of the year, giving up 6 runs (5 earned) over just 4.0 innings in the 6-2 loss. The team was unable to recover after a 3-run 4th inning by the Demons.
• Musco's Solo Effort: The only offense in Game 2 came from Edwin Musco, who continued his hot streak with a Home Run (6) and a double in a 3-for-4 effort. Musco is now tied for the team lead in home runs.
• Andretti Takes the Loss (Game 3): Bernardo Andretti (L, 2-2) surrendered a go-ahead double and two solo home runs in the 4-1 series finale loss. Sacramento's offense managed nine hits but scored only one run—a solo HR by Jose Rubbi (4) — and stranded a staggering 22 runners in the box score, illustrating a major issue with timely hitting.

Team Standings & Outlook

Despite the series loss, the Prayers' lead in the AL West remains 4.0 games over the Seattle Lucifers (20-10). However, the San Jose Demons are now just 6.0 games back and have won 8 of their last 9 games.

The Prayers now continue their road trip with a three-game series against the struggling Baltimore Satans (11-19), who are in last place in the AL East. This trip is critical for the team to regain its dominant form and for the bullpen to stabilize before the second half of May.

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Sacramento takes two of three in Baltimore, rotation shines, Hernandez stays scorching
By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN)

Sinners Grounds offered cold wind, small crowds, and a last-place opponent — but Sacramento treated Baltimore with the same seriousness they bring to division races and October nights. The Prayers took two out of three, improving to 27–9, thanks to dominant starting pitching and Francisco Hernandez continuing one of the best two-week stretches of his career.

The lone blemish: a comeback that never came in Wednesday’s finale, spoiled by one crooked inning the Prayers couldn’t overcome.

Still, Sacramento leaves Maryland with the kind of road momentum good teams bank and bad teams envy.

MONDAY — SACRAMENTO 5, BALTIMORE 3

Gray cruises, Hernandez breaks it open

Russ Gray has quietly become the Prayers’ most reliable starter in the early going — and Monday night, he pitched like an ace fronting a contender.
Gray gave Sacramento 8 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, working quickly, mixing velocities, and forcing Baltimore’s inexperienced lineup into hesitant swings.

The offense supported him methodically:

• A. Mendoza opened scoring with a no-doubt solo homer to left in the 4th.
• Velasquez added a sac fly.
• And then, as he keeps doing, Francisco Hernandez blew the game open, lining a two-run single in the 7th to stretch the lead to 5–1.

Prieto had a shaky 9th, charged with two runs, but closed the door for save No. 12.

“We take it day by day,” Gray said afterward. “Today was ours.”

Sacramento improved to 26–8.

TUESDAY — SACRAMENTO 3, BALTIMORE 0

Rubalcava throws a masterpiece

There are shutouts, and then there are statements.
Jordan Rubalcava authored the latter.

Rubalcava carved through Baltimore with a surgeon’s calm, firing a 3-hit, 0-walk shutout with 7 strikeouts — his best performance of the season and one of the most efficient starts of the Prayers’ young year.

He never blinked:

• Only 31 batters faced
  
  [*]111 pitches, 67 strikes
  
• No free passes
  
• Soft contact all night

At the plate, Sacramento’s offense did just enough:

• E. Musco led off the 7th with a solo shot — his 7th.
  
• Hernandez followed two batters later with his 3rd homer of the year.
  
• Mendoza added an RBI sac fly.

Baltimore never mounted a threat.

Rubalcava is now 6–1, 1.51 ERA, one of the best marks in baseball.
Sacramento rolled to 27–8.

WEDNESDAY — BALTIMORE 4, SACRAMENTO 3

Early punch, sudden collapse, quiet finish

The Prayers came out swinging in the getaway matinee:

• Perez single
  
• Murguia walk
  
• Hernandez three-run homer into the bullpen
  
• A 3–0 lead eight batters in
  
• Salazar looking sharp through two innings

And then the bottom of the third flipped everything.

Baltimore strung together four runs — all with two outs — capped by Francisco Guzman’s two-run double to left-center. Salazar settled after that, throwing five scoreless to finish his day, but the Prayers’ offense never recovered.

Sacramento had two late chances:

• 7th inning — two on, no outs
• 9th inning — tying run on, two outs

Both times, Baltimore’s bullpen executed.

The 4–3 loss dropped Sacramento to 27–9.

SERIES NOTES

HERNANDEZ REMAINS UNSTOPPABLE

Across the series, Francisco Hernandez went:

• 5-for-13
• 2 HR, 7 RBI
• 4 runs
• One game-deciding hit (May 9)
• One game-opening blast (May 11)

His timing, barrel control, and opposite-field authority have been elite for two straight weeks.

STARTING ROTATION ON FIRE

• Gray: 8 IP, 1 ER
• Rubalcava: 9 IP, 0 ER
• Salazar: 8 IP, 4 ER (one rough inning)

Combined: 25 IP, 5 ER (1.80 ERA)

PEREZ QUIETLY STEADY AGAIN

Benny Perez continues to be the Prayers’ unflashy but essential table-setter:

• 4-for-13
• 3 runs
• Stolen base No. 14
• Plus dependable, clean fielding (minus one error Tuesday)

PRIETO A WORK-IN-PROGRESS

Another shaky outing Monday and an uneven stretch overall — but he recorded save No. 12 and remains the club’s trusted closer. His fastball command is the issue.

Onward to El Paso: The Road Trip Tightens

With the Baltimore set wrapped and the Prayers sitting at 27–9, the clubhouse turned the page quickly — because the road doesn’t get any easier from here. Sacramento now heads southwest to El Paso, where the Abbots have a well-earned reputation for making visiting teams uncomfortable, both with their altitude-aided offense and their rowdy home crowd at Sun County Park. After a mixed series in Baltimore — two crisp wins followed by a frustrating one-run loss — Sacramento enters El Paso looking to regain its offensive sharpness, settle the back end of the rotation, and keep the league’s best record intact as the road trip continues.

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Musco’s Fire, Gray’s Perfection, and One Wild Ejection: Prayers Take 2 of 3 from El Paso
By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network

Sacramento returned home after the Baltimore series expecting turbulence — and they got it. The visiting El Paso Abbots, one of the AL’s toughest, came to town swinging. By weekend’s end, the Prayers had fought through drama, dominant pitching, a star’s suspension, and one volcanic middle-of-the-order outburst to take the series and push their record to 29–10, still the best in baseball.

Game One: Andretti Steadies, Musco Delivers the Blow (W 3–2)

Bernardo Andretti was everything Sacramento needed and more, carving through the Abbots’ lineup for 8 innings, 7 strikeouts, and just 2 runs. Sacramento trailed early, but Edwin Musco — who is rapidly transitioning from “solid regular” to “undeniable star” — flipped the game with a two-run blast in the 6th, his eighth of the season.

Luis Prieto closed it out cleanly, perhaps the most stress-free inning he’s thrown in two weeks.

Musco: “Good to win a tight one. We knew we’d need those this weekend.”

A crisp, grind-it-out opener.

Game Two: Fuentes Shuts the Door, Hernandez Explodes — Literally (L 2–3)

The middle game was chaos, frustration, and controversy wrapped into nine innings.

Alejandro Fuentes of the Abbots was dominant — maybe even brilliant — holding Sacramento to five hits and two runs through eight frames. Musco homered again, his ninth, but Sacramento’s bats never found rhythm.

The moment everyone will be talking about, though, didn’t come with a bat.

Francisco Hernández — ejected, suspended, furious.

Down on strikes in the 3rd, Hernández erupted at the plate umpire, insisting the strike zone had been “invented on the spot.” Whether he bumped the umpire remains disputed, but the league wasted no time: two-game suspension.

Hernández:

“I didn’t touch him. I was trying not to. But it doesn’t matter — they always side with the umps. No point in appealing.”

Sacramento nearly stole the game anyway — Luis Martinez tripled, the bullpen held firm, and the tying run reached third in the 8th — but never crossed home.

A combustible afternoon that ended with a narrow loss and the emotional blow of losing their fiery center fielder.

Game Three: Musco Erupts, Gray Dominates Again (W 7–1)

If the second game was a mess of emotion, the finale was Sacramento baseball at full throttle.

Russ Gray, now a perfect 8–0, delivered another masterpiece:
9 innings, 7 hits, 1 run, 86 pitches — an efficiency clinic.

And then there was Musco, who is now playing baseball on cheat-code mode.
The statline:

• 3-for-4
• 2 home runs (Nos. 10 & 11)
• 3 RBI

A legitimate argument for AL Player of the Week

He wasn’t alone — Murguia, Iniguez, Perez, and Martinez all found hits — but Musco stole the show and the series.

Jimmy Aces summarized it perfectly:

“When we hold them to one run, and Musco’s hitting like this? Yeah, we’re winning that game.”

Sacramento cruised to a 7–1 victory, never trailing, never flinching.

Series Takeaways

1. Edwin Musco is becoming the heart of the lineup.

A three-homer series, multi-hit games everywhere, and a controlled, professional approach. He’s carrying the club while Hernández cools off and Strauss slumps.

2. Gray and Andretti might be the best 1–2 punch in the league right now.

Gray is a Cy Young candidate. Andretti is stabilizing at exactly the right time.

3. The Hernández suspension is a blow — but maybe also a rallying moment.

Sacramento has a history of “us-versus-everybody” stretches. This might be another.

4. Sacramento continues to respond to adversity with wins.

A bad Baltimore loss, Hernández ejected, tough pitching matchups — and they still take the series.

Next Up: On the Road in Columbus

With the quick two-game stop in Baltimore behind them, the Prayers now head east for a far more meaningful early-May checkpoint: a three-game set in Columbus against the Heaven. Columbus may sit below .500, but they’ve played far sharper baseball than their record suggests, and their home park has a way of turning even routine series into grind-heavy dogfights. Sacramento arrives a bit scuffed from the long road stretch — and carrying the weight of an unexpected roster jolt — making this matchup less about standings and more about how the club regroups, refocuses, and reasserts the identity that powered their blistering April.

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Local Sacramento Column: Reaction to Francisco Hernández’s Suspension
COLUMN: “A Gut Punch at the Worst Moment, But the Prayers Have Been Here Before”
By Marisol Ortega, Sacramento Daily Ledger

There are bad days on a baseball calendar, and then there are the days when you feel the oxygen leave an entire fanbase.

Friday was one of those days.

Francisco “Slicker” Hernández, the heartbeat in center field and a player who embodies everything about Sacramento’s identity — speed, swagger, relentlessness — was suspended by the league for violating conduct policy. Just like that, a 24–6 juggernaut found itself staring down its first true crisis of 1988.

And let’s be honest: the gut punch wasn’t just the loss of a player. It was the shock. Hernández has long been the Prayers’ model of discipline between the lines. Fans didn’t see this coming. The clubhouse didn’t see this coming. Even management’s brief, carefully worded statement read like an organization processing in real time.

But here’s the thing about Sacramento: this isn’t a fragile team.

This is a team built on depth, continuity, and culture. Eli Murguia remains an MVP-level anchor. Bret Perez and Sam Strauss are grinding out professional at-bats daily. Edwin Musco is hitting like a man who wants to keep his lineup spot permanently. And the rotation — good lord, the rotation — might be the strongest in franchise history.

Yes, losing Slicker leaves a crater in centerfield defense, base running, and energy. But the Prayers have endured worse storms. Injuries, slumps, clubhouse conflicts — you name it. Sacramento always finds its footing because the expectation doesn’t change: next man up, next game forward.

The fans, predictably, are split.

Some are disappointed. Some are frustrated. Some — those who remember 1985 and 1982 and even the chaos of the mid-70s — shrug and say, “We’ve survived bigger.” But all of them feel it. All of them know the next two weeks will test this team in ways even April’s dominance didn’t hint at.

And Columbus, sitting there waiting, will smell blood. That’s fine. Maybe the Prayers could use a little adversity, a little edge, something to remind them that an .800 start doesn’t entitle anyone to a smooth ride.

What happens next will reveal more about this team than any 22-3 month ever could.

Sacramento doesn’t get to control the suspension. But they do control the response. And if history is any guide, it’s in the response — not the stumble — where this franchise shows who it really is.

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Prayers Sweep Columbus, Extend AL-Best Record to 32-10
By Gemmie Nye,Sacramento Sports Chronicle

The Sacramento Prayers (32-10) completed a dominant three-game sweep on the road against the Columbus Heaven (19-23), outscoring their opponents 18-4 across the series. The sweep extends Sacramento's winning streak to four games and brings their May record above .500 to 10-7.

The team's incredible start continues, as they have now extended their lead in the AL West to a season-high 7.0 games over the second-place Seattle Lucifers.

Pitching Carries the Load

The Prayers' starting rotation set the tone by allowing just 3 earned runs in 20.2 innings pitched across the three games.

• Jordan Rubalcava delivered arguably the best performance of the series in Game 1, tossing 8.0 innings, allowing only one unearned run and striking out 10. He lowers his league-leading ERA to a staggering 1.31.
  
• Long reliever David Garza (1-0, 0.44 ERA) picked up his first win of the season, throwing 1.1 perfect innings of relief in Game 2.
  
• Closer Luis Prieto secured his league-leading 13th save in Game 2, and his ERA dipped below 5.00 (4.85).

Bats Break Out of Slump

After a sluggish offensive showing in the prior series, the Prayers' offense exploded in Game 3 with four home runs before the game was called due to rain.

• Eli Murguia appears to be out of his recent slump, going 3-for-4 with a clutch RBI single in Game 2, and smashing a home run (7) in Game 3 to earn Player of the Game honors.
  
• Edwin Musco continues his tear, with multiple hits in all three games and a double in Game 3. His batting average now sits at a phenomenal .362. He played shortstop in the final game as a shake-up to the middle infield.
  
• Outfielder Alex Velasquez came through in the clutch in Game 2, hitting the go-ahead home run (6) in the 8th inning.
  
• Depth stepped up during Francisco Hernandez's suspension: Camden Liston hit his 3rd home run of the year in Game 1, and Roberto Cardenas hit his first home run of the season, a 3-run shot in Game 3.

Suspension Over

Center fielder Francisco Hernandez has now completed his two-game suspension. He is available to return to the lineup for the upcoming series. The severity of his strained rib cage muscle remains a concern, but his presence will be a welcome addition to the lineup. Hernandez is listed day-to-day and available as a pinch hitter on the active roster.

UPCOMING HOME SERIES: BOSTON MESSIAHS

The Prayers return home to Sacramento Stadium for a three-game series against the struggling Boston Messiahs (18-24, 3rd place in AL East).

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FBL Standings - May 18, 1988

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PRAYERS TAKE SERIES FROM BOSTON, PUSH TO 34–11
By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN)

Sacramento’s homestand rolled on with a three-game visit from the Boston Messiahs — and while the middle game exposed a few hairline cracks, the series as a whole reaffirmed what the FBL is learning week after week:

Sacramento wins differently than everyone else.
Sometimes it’s power. Sometimes it’s precision. Sometimes it’s the rotation simply overwhelming a team into submission. And sometimes?
It’s Aaron Gilbert coasting, Alex Velasquez clearing the bases, and Jordan Rubalcava turning a ballgame into a personal seminar on command.

The Prayers took two of three from Boston, pushing the club to 34–11, still firmly planted atop the AL West and tied for the best 45-game start in franchise history.

GAME 1 — PRAYERS 4, MESSIAHS 1
May 19 — Sacramento Stadium

Gilbert commands. Velasquez delivers. Prieto slams the door.

If Sacramento had anything on its mind following the emotionally exhausting Baltimore series and the turbulence surrounding Hernández’s suspension, they didn’t show it.

Aaron Gilbert carved.
That’s the summary.

Working 7.1 innings with five strikeouts, spotting both sides of the plate, Gilbert shut down a Boston lineup that entered the night swinging hot. His only blemish came on a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

And the lineup gave him room early.

Alex Velasquez’s bases-loaded double in the 1st inning — a slicing shot into the right-center gap — cleared the bases and set the tone. Francisco Hernández added a solo shot in the second, his fifth of the season, pushing the early lead to 4–0.

That was more than enough.

Prieto collected save No. 14 with a smoothly executed final frame, showing a cleaner fastball than he had in previous weeks.

Sacramento had won its fifth in a row.

GAME 2 — MESSIAHS 5, PRAYERS 2
May 20 — Sacramento Stadium

Gray finally blinks; Boston makes the most of it.

You had to expect it: even Russ Gray can’t be perfect forever.

The right-hander entered the day 8–0 with a 1.55 ERA, and while he didn’t pitch poorly, his margin for error vanished against Boston’s opportunistic approach.

The key swing came in the third inning.
With a man aboard, Manuel Hernández — who tormented Prayers pitching all afternoon — got inside a Gray cutter and launched a two-run homer that pushed the Messiahs up 3–0.

Sacramento rallied in the sixth thanks to doubles by Iniguez and Martinez, cutting the deficit to 4–2, but stranded 11 runners overall, the defining frustration of the afternoon.

The errors didn’t help either: Musco and Murguia each committed one, giving Boston extra chances.

It was simply an off-day for the Prayers.
They don't have many — but they do have some.

GAME 3 — PRAYERS 2, MESSIAHS 1
May 21 — Sacramento Stadium

Rubalcava dominates again. Sacramento grinds out a one-run win.

If you’re looking for the moment Jordan Rubalcava’s 1988 season became something bigger than “strong start”… circle this game.

Eight innings. Two hits. Seven strikeouts. One lone run on a two-out double.
Complete control. Calm. Efficient. Unshakeable.

His ERA dipped to 1.29, challenging Russ Gray for both the league ERA lead and the unofficial title of “Sacramento’s current ace,” a rivalry the fan base is treating like it’s a good-natured heavyweight bout.

Sacramento scored just enough:

• Murguia lifted a sacrifice fly in the third.
• Strauss singled home a run in the fifth.

Boston never mounted another serious threat.

Prieto handled the ninth — save No. 15 — looking every bit like the version of himself fans have been waiting to see more consistently.

SERIES TAKEAWAYS

1. Rubalcava may be the best pitcher in the league right now.
He’s now 8–1, hasn’t allowed more than one run in three straight starts, and is carrying Sacramento through a stretch where Salazar and Andretti are both in recovery mode.

2. Gilbert’s rebound mattered.
With the staff showing signs of cumulative fatigue, his 7.1-inning efficiency stabilizes the rotation picture.

3. The offense is grinding, not exploding.
Only 11 runs scored in the series — but Sacramento won twice anyway.
Championship teams win differently as the schedule gets heavy.

4. Prieto is slowly regaining trust.
Two stress-free saves, tighter mechanics, cleaner fastball.
The boos have faded; the murmurs of concern are cooling.

5. Sacramento reaches a new high-water mark.
34–11 (.756), maintaining a 7-game cushion over El Paso and Seattle.

UP NEXT — MAY 22 AT MILWAUKEE

The road doesn’t get easier.
After the emotional and physical demands of the Baltimore and Boston series, the Prayers fly to face the first-place Milwaukee Bishops, who lead the AL East despite a 20–22 record.

Sacramento’s rotation is tired.
The lineup is carrying some bruises.
Francisco Hernández is day-to-day with a rib strain.

But the team keeps finding ways.

And now, after another series win, the Prayers head into Milwaukee looking to keep the league’s best record intact.

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SACRAMENTO AT MILWAUKEE — “A SERIES OF CONTRASTS: THE SHUTOUT AND THE SURVIVAL”
By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN)

The Sacramento Prayers rolled into Milwaukee battered, tired, and carrying the fresh sting of Edwin Musco’s injury — and they played like a team caught between gears. Over two low-scoring grinders at Bishops Stadium, Sacramento split the abbreviated set, sleepwalking through a 1-0 shutout loss before rediscovering just enough thunder to escape with a 3-2 win.

The result?
A 35–13 ballclub that still looks elite, but suddenly feels…mortal.


GAME 1 — MAY 22

Callaghan Clamps Down, Bishops Edge Prayers 1–0

If Sacramento has an Achilles’ heel, it’s games where the bats simply don’t show up — and this was one of them.

Milwaukee right-hander Jim Callaghan carved through the Sacramento lineup with surprising ease, punching out eight over 6.2 scoreless innings. Sacramento never strung together more than two baserunners in an inning.

The only run came in the fourth, when DeMario Garcia rolled a grounder to first with runners on second and third. One run scored. That was it. That decided the game.

Fernando Salazar, who deserved better, took a tough-luck complete-game loss:
8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 97 pitches — the kind of line that usually earns applause, not the letter “L.”

The Musco injury overshadowed everything: the AL Player of the Week, and arguably the Prayers’ hottest hitter, exited with elbow tendinitis and will miss more than a month. Sacramento’s deepest point of the season suddenly doesn’t feel so deep.


GAME 2 — MAY 24

Perez Homers Twice, Velasquez Delivers Late Blow as Sacramento Rebounds 3–2

Their lineup dented, battered, and carrying two infielders from the August Suns, the Prayers needed someone — anyone — to step up.

Enter Bret Perez, who lit up the Wisconsin night with two solo home runs, one in the first and a towering moonshot in the seventh. His swing was compact, violent, and beautifully timed — exactly what Sacramento needed to break through against Omar Aguilar.

Then came Alex Velasquez, who launched the decisive shot in the eighth, a frozen-rope solo homer off reliever Ken Richert to put Sacramento up for good.

It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t dominant, and it wasn’t the typical “Prayers win by five” brand of baseball — but it was enough.

On the mound, Aaron Gilbert continued his quiet rise as the rotation’s stabilizer:
7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 K — nothing flashy, everything effective.

And Luis Prieto, coming off a rocky stretch, locked down a two-inning save with the poise Sacramento desperately needed from him.


SERIES VERDICT

A Gut-Check Stop on a Difficult Road Trip

The Prayers didn’t look like world-beaters. They didn’t look like the .729 juggernaut that has lapped the AL West.

But they did look like something even better:

A great team figuring out how to win even when its engine sputters.

What We Learned

• Musco’s absence changes everything. The lineup loses explosiveness and table-setting all at once.
• Gilbert and the rotation remain the backbone. Even with extra workload, they keep delivering.
• The offense is streaky right now. Sacramento scored only three total runs in the two-game set.
• Velasquez and Perez stepped up when needed. A must-have development with two infielders hurt.

The Road Ahead

Things won’t get easier: the Prayers now fly to Seattle to face a Lucifers club that suddenly has momentum and sits only six games back — close enough to make Sacramento feel their breath.

A weary lineup.
A bruised roster.
A rotation running hot but carrying heavy mileage.
And a division rival waiting with open jaws.

The season’s first genuine test has arrived.

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SACRAMENTO AT SEATTLE — “A TEST OF DEPTH, DURABILITY, AND REALITY”
By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN)

The Sacramento Prayers stepped into Lucifers Park this week holding the AL West’s best record and riding the momentum of a turbulent but winning May. They leave with another reminder of what Seattle has long been — the division’s most persistent shadow and the one team built to counter Sacramento’s strengths.

The Prayers dropped two of three in a series defined by bullpen strain, middle-inning breakdowns, and an untimely offensive freeze. Still, Sacramento departs Seattle at 36–15 (.706) and firmly atop the AL West, though with fresh bruises and a lingering sense that June will require sharper execution.


GAME 1 — LUCIFERS 11, PRAYERS 7

Seattle overwhelms Sacramento with a six-run gut punch

For five innings, the Prayers looked fully capable of punching their way to another road win. They erased an early 3–1 deficit with a four-run fifth highlighted by Eli Murguia’s three-run blast, his eighth of the season.

Then came the sixth inning — the moment this series tilted.

A tiring Jordan Rubalcava left with runners aboard, and Ed Kukuk entered only to be ambushed. Seattle unloaded eight runs, capped by Josh Hill’s devastating three-run double, turning a 5–4 Sacramento edge into an 11–5 deficit.

Sacramento collected 14 hits — Perez, Hicks, Mendoza, Murguia, Velasquez all with multi-hit days — but left 11 runners stranded in one of their most frustrating losses of the season.

“Every mistake got punished,” a coach said afterward. “And we gave them too many.”


GAME 2 — PRAYERS 5, LUCIFERS 2

Salazar stabilizes, Martinez delivers, Prieto closes

When Sacramento needs calm, Fernando Salazar delivers it. The ace authored 7.2 innings of four-hit, one-earned baseball, pounding the zone with precision and giving the team exactly the start it needed after the bullpen’s collapse 24 hours earlier.

Offensively, Luis Martinez was the spark. His two-run double in the fourth — one of two doubles he hit on the night — flipped a 2–1 deficit into a 3–2 lead. Sacramento never trailed again.

Bret Perez added two hits, Sam Strauss and Alex Velasquez added extra-base knocks, and Luis Prieto threw a sharp 1.1 innings for his 17th save, an encouraging outing for a closer who’s been under scrutiny in recent weeks.

“We’ll relax tonight and get back after it tomorrow,” Martinez said afterward — a calm voice on a roster that needed one.


GAME 3 — LUCIFERS 2, PRAYERS 0

Sanderson stifles Sacramento; bats go silent

Seattle’s Ray Sanderson delivered one of the finest pitching performances Sacramento has run into all year — 8 innings, 1 hit, 4 strikeouts, total command. The Prayers never mounted a serious threat, placing just three men in scoring position all game.

Russ Gray — entering the day with the AL’s best ERA — was strong again, allowing only two runs (one on a César Vázquez solo shot) across seven innings. But without offense, it wasn’t enough.

This marked Sacramento’s second shutout loss of the season, and their fifth defeat in the last ten games — a clear cooling after their 22–3 April explosion.


SERIES VERDICT: A NECESSARY REALITY CHECK

Sacramento and Seattle have fought atop the AL West for nearly two decades, and this series showed why. Seattle’s lineup punished mistakes (especially in Game 1), rode elite pitching in Game 3, and matched Sacramento in intensity inning for inning.

The Prayers still hold a 5-game division lead, still own the AL’s best record, and still boast baseball’s strongest pitching staff. But with injuries piling up — Musco, Iniguez — and the rotation showing signs of fatigue, the margin for error narrows.

Next up: a crucial home set against Fort Worth, and an opportunity to close the month with stability rather than suspense.

Sacramento remains the class of the AL West — but Seattle just reminded them that nothing comes free in this division.

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Sacramento Prayers Update: Musco Out 5 Weeks as Division Lead Tightens
By Gemmie Nye, Sacramento Sports Chronicle

The Sacramento Prayers (36-15) returned home after a difficult road trip to Seattle, where they lost two out of three games to the second-place Lucifers. The team's scorching pace has finally cooled, with a 5-5 record over their last ten games. After their incredible start in April, the Prayers finished May with a pedestrian 14-12 record, but their league-best record of .706 still holds a 5.0 game lead over the Seattle Lucifers (31-20) in the American League West.

Injury Crisis Hits the Infield

The biggest news from the past week is the long-term absence of the team's star second baseman. Edwin Musco, the team leader in home runs (11, tied with Bret Perez) and the league's top hitter with a .360 batting average, has been officially placed on the Disabled List with elbow tendinitis and is expected to miss five weeks of action. This significant blow is compounded by the fact that backup infielder Hector Iniguez is also sidelined for another 1-2 weeks. The team is now forced to rely on utility players to fill the void, with Jesus Rodriguez currently batting only .071 at second base.

Player Spotlight and Pitching Health

The injury to Musco puts added pressure on the rest of the lineup. **Eli Murguia** continues to anchor the offense with a .320 average and leads the team with 34 RBIs. **Bret Perez** has responded to his new role as the lead-off DH, now tied for the team lead with 9 home runs and leading the league with 18 stolen bases. Right fielder **Alex Velasquez** has also stepped up his production, with 31 RBIs on the season.

The strain on the pitching staff is evident. Both aces, Russ Gray (8-2, 1.99 ERA) and Jordan Rubalcava (8-2, 2.04 ERA), are tied for the team lead in wins, but Gray pitched recently and currently is unavailable and Rubalcava is also tired. It means the team will need to manage their innings carefully. Fernando Salazar (5-3, 2.45 ERA) remains the most effective starter recently and is hot with a 1.15 ERA over his last two games.

Upcoming Home Series

The Prayers now return home for a three-game series against the last-place Fort Worth Spirits (24-27). This series will be crucial for stopping their slide and regaining momentum before a road trip against the Washington Devils.

• Sunday, May 29: Jordan Rubalcava (8-2, 2.04) will look for a bounce-back win against Fort Worth's RHP W. Moran.
• Monday, May 30: Fernando Salazar (5-3, 2.45) will pitch against LHP C. Aubin.
• Tuesday, May 31: Bernardo Andretti (4-3, 3.88) gets the start as the team gives Russ Gray extra rest due to his fatigue.

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Sacramento Prayers Mid-Series Report: May Ends, Injuries Mount, and June Begins
By Gemmie Nye, Sacramento Sports Chronicle

The Sacramento Prayers (38-16) have completed the month of May and have played the first game of their series against the Fort Worth Spirits. Despite losing key players, the Prayers finished May strong with a 16-13 record and currently maintain the best record in baseball (.704 PCT). Their AL West lead is now 5.0 games over the Seattle Lucifers (33-21).

Major Off-Field News: Double Injury Blow

The Sacramento roster has been decimated by injuries, significantly complicating the team's ability to maintain its league-leading status:

• Left Fielder Eli Murguia has been diagnosed with a fractured finger and is out for 2 months, placed on the 60-day DL. Murguia was the team leader in both AVG (.319) and RBIs (tied for team lead with 34).
• Second Baseman Edwin Musco remains out for 4-5 weeks with elbow tendinitis (1 day left on his current DL stint).
• Second Baseman Hector Iniguez is also out for one week.

This leaves the team without its top hitter and its top run-producer for the foreseeable future, forcing major, non-ideal lineup changes.

Offensive Response and Lineup Shift

In the wake of Murguia's injury, the Prayers' offense will need to rely on its remaining stars. The new lineup now feature Camden Liston and Logan Hicks at the top, and Alex Mendoza stepping into a starting role against both right-handed and left-handed pitching.

• Alex Velasquez has responded by stepping up his production, now tied with Murguia for the team lead in RBIs with 34. He also leads the team in home runs (9, tied with Bret Perez).
• Bret Perez maintains a high average (.297) and leads the team with 18 SB. His RBI total is up to 23.
• Luis Martinez remains a high-impact player, with a team-leading 2.3 WAR.

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FORT WORTH AT SACRAMENTO — “CONTROL, COURSE CORRECTION, AND A COSTLY SCRAPE”
By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN)

Sacramento did what first-place clubs are supposed to do: absorb a punch, adjust, and finish standing.

The Prayers dropped a tight, frustrating opener to Fort Worth on Sunday, then recalibrated behind timely power, cleaner at-bats, and a dominant turn from Jordan Rubalcava to take the final two games of the set. The result was a 2–1 series win that nudged Sacramento to 38–16 — and offered a reminder that even elite teams pay a price along the way.


GAME 1 — Sunday: Spirits 3, Prayers 1

The afternoon unraveled in quiet, irritating increments.

Willie Moran carved the strike zone for 7.1 innings, and Fort Worth won the game with three solo home runs — the baseball equivalent of a lockpick. Bernardo Andretti was solid but punished for the few mistakes he made, surrendering homers to Greg MacDonald, top prospect Giacomo Benoldi, and Carlos Castillo.

Sacramento’s offense never found rhythm. Alex Velasquez accounted for the lone run with a sixth-inning solo shot, but the Prayers stranded chances and chased late.

The real damage came after the box score: Eli Murguia was injured running the bases, a moment that cast a shadow well beyond the final out.


GAME 2 — Monday: Prayers 6, Spirits 3

Monday night brought a response — and a familiar one.

Alex Velasquez turned the series with authority, going 3-for-4 and delivering the decisive blow: a two-run homer in the seventh that broke a 4–3 game open. Aaron Gilbert gave Sacramento exactly what it needed — six composed innings — and the bullpen slammed the door behind him.

Luis Prieto’s 18th save capped a professional win. Sacramento didn’t dominate; it managed. Against a capable opponent, that mattered.


GAME 3 — Tuesday: Prayers 7, Spirits 1

By Tuesday, the tone shifted from correction to command.

Jordan Rubalcava was surgical, working 8.1 innings of one-run baseball with nine strikeouts and relentless efficiency. Fort Worth rarely threatened. Sacramento, meanwhile, piled on steadily — doubles early, homers late, pressure throughout.

Bret Perez set the table. Camden Liston provided thunder. Andres Valadez and the bottom half contributed depth. It was a reminder of why this team sits atop the AL West: there are too many ways for Sacramento to beat you.


THE TAKEAWAY

This series had everything — a stumble, a surge, and a scar.

Sacramento remains the class of the division, now five games clear, but Murguia’s injury lingers as a real concern. The Prayers proved they can win without perfect conditions, without early leads, and without margin for error.

They did not escape untouched — but they advanced, which is the mark of a contender in May with October ambitions still intact.

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Sacramento Prayers Update: End of May, Murguia Out 2 Months, and June Begins
By Gemmie Nye, Sacramento Sports Chronicle

The Sacramento Prayers (38-16) managed to take two of three games from the visiting Fort Worth Spirits (25-29) to close out May with a 16-13 monthly record. They successfully increased their home record to 18-6 and hold a 5.0 game lead in the AL West as they head out on the road.

Catastrophic Injuries Mount in Sacramento

The biggest news is a devastating blow to the offense: star left fielder and team AVG leader Eli Murguia (.319 AVG) was injured while running the bases in the May 29th loss. He has been diagnosed with a fractured finger and is expected to miss two months of play, landing him on the 60-day Disabled List.

This comes on the heels of the injury to key slugger Edwin Musco (11 HR), who is already out for another four to five weeks. With Musco, Murguia, and backup Hector Iniguez all sidelined, the Prayers must now rely on depth players like Camden Liston and the struggling Jesus Rodriguez to fill multiple positions.

Pitching: Rubalcava’s Dominance Amid Fatigu

The starting pitching staff continues to be the team's anchor, boasting the best ERA in the American League (2.77), but health is a major concern:

• Jordan Rubalcava (9-2, 1.94 ERA) delivered a masterful performance in the May 31st finale, dominating the Spirits with 8.1 innings of one-run ball and nine strikeouts to earn his league-leading 9th win and Player of the Game honors. However, following his high-pitch-count gem, he must feel exhausted.
• Aaron Gilbert (6-2, 3.59 ERA) pitched well enough to earn the May 30th win, and is now listed as unabailable, forcing the team to start June with two fatigued arms.
• Bernardo Andretti (4-4, 3.82 ERA) took a tough loss in the opener, allowing three solo home runs in an otherwise solid 8.0 inning outing.
• Closer Luis Prieto secured his AL-leading 18th save in the May 30th victory.

Offense Finds a New Catalyst

In the absence of Musco and Murguia, right fielder Alex Velasquez (.271 AVG) has stepped up to become the team’s offensive focal point. He was the Player of the Game on May 30th, going 3-for-4 with his 9th home run (tied for second on the team) and is now tied with Murguia for the team lead with 34 RBIs.

Other key performances from the series:

• Bret Perez (.297 AVG) went 3-for-5 with a double and 2 RBIs in the May 31st win.
• Camden Liston (4 HR) and Andres Valadez (4 HR) both hit home runs in the final game as the offense broke out with 7 runs on 14 hits.

Next Up: Road Trip to Washington

The Prayers immediately hit the road for a three-game series against the struggling Washington Devils, starting Wednesday, June 1st.

Wednesday, 6/1: The Prayers will face Washington’s RHP and former teammate T. Mahlen.
Thursday, 6/2: Russ Gray (8-2, 1.99), who is rested after skipping the Fort Worth series, takes the mound.
Friday, 6/3: Jordan Rubalcava (9-2, 1.94), is scheduled to pitch the final game of the series.

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FBL Standings - June 1, 1988