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liberty-ca · 12-19-2025, 04:40 PM

EL PASO AT SACRAMENTO — “CONTROL, CRACKS, AND A CLEAN BREAK”
By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN)

SACRAMENTO — For two days, the Prayers turned El Paso’s bats into background noise. On the third, the Abbots finally found the volume knob. The result was a tidy, revealing series that Sacramento won two games to one — tightening its grip on first place while exposing just enough vulnerability to keep July honest.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Game 1 — Saturday, July 23
Prayers 5, Abbots 2

Fernando Salazar didn’t just pitch — he curated eight innings of control.

The right-hander scattered four hits, walked none, and faced just 29 batters across 110 pitches, lowering his ERA to 2.64 while improving to 10–7. Twelve groundouts against seven fly balls told the story: El Paso never lifted the ball with intent until a late pinch-hit homer spoiled the shutout bid.

Sacramento struck early and decisively. Camden Liston ambushed the first pitch he saw, launching his 8th homer to lead off the bottom of the first. In the sixth, the Prayers cracked the game open with three runs, highlighted by Alex Mendoza’s two-run shot (9) and Hector Iniguez’s ninth homer, both coming with two outs — the kind of sequencing that has defined Sacramento’s offense all season.

Despite an otherwise flawless day, the bullpen wobbled briefly. Chris Ryan surrendered a two-run homer to pinch-hitter R. Williams in the ninth before Luis Prieto extinguished the rally with four pitches for his 25th save.

“Fernando doesn’t flirt with chaos,” manager Jimmy Aces said afterward. “He shuts the door, locks it, and hands you the keys.”

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Game 2 — Sunday, July 24
Prayers 4, Abbots 1

Bernardo Andretti followed Salazar with a quieter, no-less-effective performance — 6.1 scoreless innings, five hits, six strikeouts, and a Game Score of 68 that reflected steady dominance rather than flash.

The Prayers finally broke through in the sixth when Alex Velasquez lined a run-scoring single to right, snapping a scoreless duel. Sacramento then leaned into its identity: pressure, speed, and bullpen efficiency.

Two-out RBIs from Velasquez and Jose Rubbi, who clubbed his 6th homer in the eighth, provided the margin. Gil Caliari closed the final 2.2 innings for his third save, lowering his ERA to 1.50 and stranding the tying run without drama.

Velasquez shrugged off the spotlight. “Some days it’s a blast, some days it’s a nudge,” he said. “This one just needed a nudge.”

The Prayers won despite going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position — a testament to pitching that erased every El Paso mistake.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Game 3 — Monday, July 25
Abbots 10, Prayers 4

El Paso finally exhaled — loudly.

Michael Perez authored the game of the series, going 4-for-5 with a homer, a triple, and nine total bases, while driving Sacramento pitching into uncomfortable counts all night. The Abbots slugged four home runs, tagged Prayers arms for 10 runs on 10 hits, and turned a tight contest into a runaway by the eighth.

Russ Gray absorbed the loss, surrendering five earned runs over 5.2 innings as his ERA climbed to 2.61. The bullpen didn’t stem the tide, allowing five more runs across three innings, including a three-run blast by Victor Phillips in the eighth.

Sacramento’s offense didn’t disappear — it produced 13 hits and six walks — but timing betrayed them. The Prayers stranded 10 runners and went 1-for-8 with RISP, repeatedly threatening without delivering the knockout blow they’d landed earlier in the series.

The night ended on a sour note when Luis Martinez exited with an injury while throwing, a development that drew immediate attention in the clubhouse.

“We didn’t get outplayed — we got out-leveraged,” Aces said. “They punished our misses. That happens when you live in the zone.”

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Series Snapshot

* Series Result: Sacramento wins, 2–1
* Runs: Sacramento 13, El Paso 13
* Prayers Pitching: 2.79 team ERA entering the series; allowed 1 run in 14.1 innings in the first two games
* Key Bats:

* Iniguez: 4-for-10, 2 HR, 4 RBI
* Velasquez: 3 RBIs, including two game-opening run producers
* Bullpen: Prieto (SV 25), Caliari (SV 3) combined to allow 0 inherited runners to score

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The Takeaway

This was a series that reinforced why Sacramento leads the West — elite starting pitching, opportunistic power, and an ability to win without perfect offense. It also reminded them what happens when execution slips: even first-place clubs bleed.

The Prayers walked away with another series win, a reinforced division lead, and just enough discomfort to sharpen the next one.

12-19-2025, 04:40 PM	#68
liberty-ca All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: New Westminster, BC Posts: 501	BNN Series Recap — July 23–25, 1988 EL PASO AT SACRAMENTO — “CONTROL, CRACKS, AND A CLEAN BREAK” By Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN) SACRAMENTO — For two days, the Prayers turned El Paso’s bats into background noise. On the third, the Abbots finally found the volume knob. The result was a tidy, revealing series that Sacramento won two games to one — tightening its grip on first place while exposing just enough vulnerability to keep July honest. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Game 1 — Saturday, July 23 Prayers 5, Abbots 2 Fernando Salazar didn’t just pitch — he curated eight innings of control. The right-hander scattered four hits, walked none, and faced just 29 batters across 110 pitches, lowering his ERA to 2.64 while improving to 10–7. Twelve groundouts against seven fly balls told the story: El Paso never lifted the ball with intent until a late pinch-hit homer spoiled the shutout bid. Sacramento struck early and decisively. Camden Liston ambushed the first pitch he saw, launching his 8th homer to lead off the bottom of the first. In the sixth, the Prayers cracked the game open with three runs, highlighted by Alex Mendoza’s two-run shot (9) and Hector Iniguez’s ninth homer, both coming with two outs — the kind of sequencing that has defined Sacramento’s offense all season. Despite an otherwise flawless day, the bullpen wobbled briefly. Chris Ryan surrendered a two-run homer to pinch-hitter R. Williams in the ninth before Luis Prieto extinguished the rally with four pitches for his 25th save. “Fernando doesn’t flirt with chaos,” manager Jimmy Aces said afterward. “He shuts the door, locks it, and hands you the keys.” ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Game 2 — Sunday, July 24 Prayers 4, Abbots 1 Bernardo Andretti followed Salazar with a quieter, no-less-effective performance — 6.1 scoreless innings, five hits, six strikeouts, and a Game Score of 68 that reflected steady dominance rather than flash. The Prayers finally broke through in the sixth when Alex Velasquez lined a run-scoring single to right, snapping a scoreless duel. Sacramento then leaned into its identity: pressure, speed, and bullpen efficiency. Two-out RBIs from Velasquez and Jose Rubbi, who clubbed his 6th homer in the eighth, provided the margin. Gil Caliari closed the final 2.2 innings for his third save, lowering his ERA to 1.50 and stranding the tying run without drama. Velasquez shrugged off the spotlight. “Some days it’s a blast, some days it’s a nudge,” he said. “This one just needed a nudge.” The Prayers won despite going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position — a testament to pitching that erased every El Paso mistake. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Game 3 — Monday, July 25 Abbots 10, Prayers 4 El Paso finally exhaled — loudly. Michael Perez authored the game of the series, going 4-for-5 with a homer, a triple, and nine total bases, while driving Sacramento pitching into uncomfortable counts all night. The Abbots slugged four home runs, tagged Prayers arms for 10 runs on 10 hits, and turned a tight contest into a runaway by the eighth. Russ Gray absorbed the loss, surrendering five earned runs over 5.2 innings as his ERA climbed to 2.61. The bullpen didn’t stem the tide, allowing five more runs across three innings, including a three-run blast by Victor Phillips in the eighth. Sacramento’s offense didn’t disappear — it produced 13 hits and six walks — but timing betrayed them. The Prayers stranded 10 runners and went 1-for-8 with RISP, repeatedly threatening without delivering the knockout blow they’d landed earlier in the series. The night ended on a sour note when Luis Martinez exited with an injury while throwing, a development that drew immediate attention in the clubhouse. “We didn’t get outplayed — we got out-leveraged,” Aces said. “They punished our misses. That happens when you live in the zone.” ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Series Snapshot * Series Result: Sacramento wins, 2–1 * Runs: Sacramento 13, El Paso 13 * Prayers Pitching: 2.79 team ERA entering the series; allowed 1 run in 14.1 innings in the first two games * Key Bats: * Iniguez: 4-for-10, 2 HR, 4 RBI * Velasquez: 3 RBIs, including two game-opening run producers * Bullpen: Prieto (SV 25), Caliari (SV 3) combined to allow 0 inherited runners to score ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The Takeaway This was a series that reinforced why Sacramento leads the West — elite starting pitching, opportunistic power, and an ability to win without perfect offense. It also reminded them what happens when execution slips: even first-place clubs bleed. The Prayers walked away with another series win, a reinforced division lead, and just enough discomfort to sharpen the next one. Last edited by liberty-ca; 12-19-2025 at 04:41 PM.