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liberty-ca · 12-30-2025, 03:22 PM

BNN SERIES RECAP — APRIL 24–26, 1989
Deep Freeze in Texas: Prayers Swept by Hell Fire
By Gemmy Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle, C.O.Pilot and Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN)

SAN ANTONIO — The red-hot Sacramento Prayers ran into a cold front this week in Texas. After a bruising series loss to Brooklyn, the Sacramento Prayers arrived in Texas looking to reset the rhythm that carried them through most of April. Instead, they ran into a wall of pitching, bad luck, and untimely execution, getting swept in three games by the San Antonio Hell Fire.

It was a frustrating series for manager Jimmy Aces, whose pitching staff largely held their own, only to be let down by an offense that seemed to lose its spark somewhere over the state line. Sacramento managed only five runs across 29 innings of baseball in the series. Final scores: 1–0 (11 innings), 5–4, and 2–1. Three losses, all by one run, all decisive as they could be.

Sacramento’s record drops to 16–9, still strong atop the AL standings, but this was easily the club’s roughest stretch of the young season.

★ ★ ★

MONDAY, APRIL 24 — HELL FIRE 1, PRAYERS 0 (11 INNINGS)

Rubalcava Brilliant, Bats Frozen in Extra‑Inning Heartbreaker

It was the kind of game pitchers dream about and hitters dread. The series opener was a masterclass in frustration as Jordan Rubalcava delivered arguably his best start of the season, tossing eight shutout innings, striking out six and allowing only three hits. He left with the game still locked at zero and no margin for error behind him. However, the Sacramento bats were silent, grounding into four double plays — the Prayers’ offense never arrived, falling 1–0 in 11 innings.

Sacramento managed just five hits, never advanced a runner past second base after the fourth inning and went 0-for-everything when it mattered. San Antonio starter Will Brinegar matched Rubalcava pitch for pitch, and reliever Casey Clifford finished the job with three scoreless frames. The decisive moment came with two outs in the 11th, when*Garrett Whitford ripped a walk-off double off Rocco Gaias to send the home crowd into a frenzy.

"We just didn't score enough runs to win," a deadpan Jimmy Aces told reporters after the 1-0 loss — a revelation that would echo all series.

It was the Prayers’ first shutout loss of the season — and a sign of things to come.

★ ★ ★

TUESDAY, APRIL 25 — HELL FIRE 5, PRAYERS 4

Lange’s Two Homers Sink Sacramento in Late‑Inning Collapse

Sacramento’s offense finally woke up — briefly — but San Antonio slugger Aaron Lange was a one-man wrecking crew on Tuesday. Lange launched two home runs and drove in four, accounting for nearly all of San Antonio’s offense in a 5-4 victory. Sacramento showed a brief pulse in the 4th inning when Sam Strauss tripled home a run and Alvaro Velasquez crushed a two-run homer to give the Prayers a temporary 3-2 lead. However, the bullpen couldn't hold it.

Aaron Lange's second homer, a two-run shot in the eighth off Gil Caliari, flipped a 3–3 tie into a 5–3 Hell Fire lead that Sacramento never fully recovered from. Sacramento clawed to within one late, but seven walks and missed opportunities haunted them — Prayers scratched across a run in the ninth but left the tying run aboard as closer Fernando Urquizo slammed the door, handing Sacramento its second straight one-run loss.

“Nice win for us,” Lange said. “Now we’ll go after the next one.” And they did.

★ ★ ★

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26 — HELL FIRE 2, PRAYERS 1

Almendarez Outduels Larson as Sacramento Drops Sixth in Seven Games

The sweep was completed on Wednesday in another low-scoring affair. The finale was another tight, frustrating loss, a proverbial final twist of the knife, with San Antonio’s Fernando Almendarez outdueling Robby Larson in a 2–1 Hell Fire victory.

Larson pitched well — 8 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs (1 earned) — but the Prayers again failed to benefit from traffic, leaving seven runners on base and grounding into two more double plays. Sacramento’s lone run came in the fourth, when Javier Rodriguez punched a two‑out RBI single. But San Antonio answered in the seventh with a sacrifice fly from Jose Casillas capitalizing on runners at second and third with nobody out, and that was enough. The Prayers collected nine hits, including two from Hector Iniguez and a double from Velasquez, and put two men on in the 9th, but never found the knockout blow. San Antonio closer Casey Clifford — who beat Sacramento in Monday’s extra‑inning game — slammed the door and earned his third save of the series.

★ ★ ★

SERIES TAKEAWAYS

1. The Offense Has Hit a Wall
Across the three‑game sweep, Sacramento scored just five runs and went 0‑for‑a‑series in high‑leverage moments.

2. Starting Pitching Deserved Better
- Rubalcava: 8 IP, 0 ER
- Andretti: battled but undone by homers
- Larson: 8 IP, 1 ER

3. Double Plays Are Killing Momentum
The Prayers grounded into nine double plays in three games — a staggering number for a team built on speed and pressure.

4. Hernandez and Murguia Cooling Off
Both outfielders, so hot earlier in April, combined for just three hits in the series.

5. A Brutal Stretch of Schedule
Sacramento has now lost six of their last seven, their first real slump of 1989.

★ ★ ★

Gemmy’s Take: Where has the Power Gone?

The absence of Bret Perez (tailbone) is starting to be felt in the middle of the order. While A. Valadez has played admirably at third base, the "clutch gene" seems to be missing. The Prayers grounded into a staggering seven double plays over the three-game set, killing every potential rally before it could start.

The Prayers remain in a strong position in the standings, but this Texas trip serves as a wake-up call: elite pitching only wins games if the bats provide a cushion. Elite pitching kept Sacramento in every contest. The problem? Timely hitting never arrived.

★ ★ ★

UP NEXT

The Prayers return home for a four‑game set against the Seattle Lucifers, closing out the month of April. With the offense sputtering and the bullpen showing signs of fatigue, Sacramento will look to rediscover the formula that carried them to a 16–4 start.

The season is long, but this week in Texas will linger — and the Prayers know it.

12-30-2025, 03:22 PM	#119
liberty-ca Major Leagues Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: New Westminster, BC Posts: 389	BNN SERIES RECAP — APRIL 24–26, 1989 Deep Freeze in Texas: Prayers Swept by Hell Fire By Gemmy Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle, C.O.Pilot and Chad G. Petey, Baseball News Network (BNN) SAN ANTONIO — The red-hot Sacramento Prayers ran into a cold front this week in Texas. After a bruising series loss to Brooklyn, the Sacramento Prayers arrived in Texas looking to reset the rhythm that carried them through most of April. Instead, they ran into a wall of pitching, bad luck, and untimely execution, getting swept in three games by the San Antonio Hell Fire. It was a frustrating series for manager Jimmy Aces, whose pitching staff largely held their own, only to be let down by an offense that seemed to lose its spark somewhere over the state line. Sacramento managed only five runs across 29 innings of baseball in the series. Final scores: 1–0 (11 innings), 5–4, and 2–1. Three losses, all by one run, all decisive as they could be. Sacramento’s record drops to 16–9, still strong atop the AL standings, but this was easily the club’s roughest stretch of the young season. ★ ★ ★ MONDAY, APRIL 24 — HELL FIRE 1, PRAYERS 0 (11 INNINGS) Rubalcava Brilliant, Bats Frozen in Extra‑Inning Heartbreaker It was the kind of game pitchers dream about and hitters dread. The series opener was a masterclass in frustration as Jordan Rubalcava delivered arguably his best start of the season, tossing eight shutout innings, striking out six and allowing only three hits. He left with the game still locked at zero and no margin for error behind him. However, the Sacramento bats were silent, grounding into four double plays — the Prayers’ offense never arrived, falling 1–0 in 11 innings. Sacramento managed just five hits, never advanced a runner past second base after the fourth inning and went 0-for-everything when it mattered. San Antonio starter Will Brinegar matched Rubalcava pitch for pitch, and reliever Casey Clifford finished the job with three scoreless frames. The decisive moment came with two outs in the 11th, whenGarrett Whitford ripped a walk-off double off Rocco Gaias to send the home crowd into a frenzy. "We just didn't score enough runs to win,"* a deadpan Jimmy Aces told reporters after the 1-0 loss — a revelation that would echo all series. It was the Prayers’ first shutout loss of the season — and a sign of things to come. ★ ★ ★ TUESDAY, APRIL 25 — HELL FIRE 5, PRAYERS 4 Lange’s Two Homers Sink Sacramento in Late‑Inning Collapse Sacramento’s offense finally woke up — briefly — but San Antonio slugger Aaron Lange was a one-man wrecking crew on Tuesday. Lange launched two home runs and drove in four, accounting for nearly all of San Antonio’s offense in a 5-4 victory. Sacramento showed a brief pulse in the 4th inning when Sam Strauss tripled home a run and Alvaro Velasquez crushed a two-run homer to give the Prayers a temporary 3-2 lead. However, the bullpen couldn't hold it. Aaron Lange's second homer, a two-run shot in the eighth off Gil Caliari, flipped a 3–3 tie into a 5–3 Hell Fire lead that Sacramento never fully recovered from. Sacramento clawed to within one late, but seven walks and missed opportunities haunted them — Prayers scratched across a run in the ninth but left the tying run aboard as closer Fernando Urquizo slammed the door, handing Sacramento its second straight one-run loss. “Nice win for us,” Lange said. “Now we’ll go after the next one.” And they did. ★ ★ ★ WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26 — HELL FIRE 2, PRAYERS 1 Almendarez Outduels Larson as Sacramento Drops Sixth in Seven Games The sweep was completed on Wednesday in another low-scoring affair. The finale was another tight, frustrating loss, a proverbial final twist of the knife, with San Antonio’s Fernando Almendarez outdueling Robby Larson in a 2–1 Hell Fire victory. Larson pitched well — 8 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs (1 earned) — but the Prayers again failed to benefit from traffic, leaving seven runners on base and grounding into two more double plays. Sacramento’s lone run came in the fourth, when Javier Rodriguez punched a two‑out RBI single. But San Antonio answered in the seventh with a sacrifice fly from Jose Casillas capitalizing on runners at second and third with nobody out, and that was enough. The Prayers collected nine hits, including two from Hector Iniguez and a double from Velasquez, and put two men on in the 9th, but never found the knockout blow. San Antonio closer Casey Clifford — who beat Sacramento in Monday’s extra‑inning game — slammed the door and earned his third save of the series. ★ ★ ★ SERIES TAKEAWAYS 1. The Offense Has Hit a Wall Across the three‑game sweep, Sacramento scored just five runs and went 0‑for‑a‑series in high‑leverage moments. 2. Starting Pitching Deserved Better - Rubalcava: 8 IP, 0 ER - Andretti: battled but undone by homers - Larson: 8 IP, 1 ER 3. Double Plays Are Killing Momentum The Prayers grounded into nine double plays in three games — a staggering number for a team built on speed and pressure. 4. Hernandez and Murguia Cooling Off Both outfielders, so hot earlier in April, combined for just three hits in the series. 5. A Brutal Stretch of Schedule Sacramento has now lost six of their last seven, their first real slump of 1989. ★ ★ ★ Gemmy’s Take: Where has the Power Gone? The absence of Bret Perez (tailbone) is starting to be felt in the middle of the order. While A. Valadez has played admirably at third base, the "clutch gene" seems to be missing. The Prayers grounded into a staggering seven double plays over the three-game set, killing every potential rally before it could start. The Prayers remain in a strong position in the standings, but this Texas trip serves as a wake-up call: elite pitching only wins games if the bats provide a cushion. Elite pitching kept Sacramento in every contest. The problem? Timely hitting never arrived. ★ ★ ★ UP NEXT The Prayers return home for a four‑game set against the Seattle Lucifers, closing out the month of April. With the offense sputtering and the bullpen showing signs of fatigue, Sacramento will look to rediscover the formula that carried them to a 16–4 start. The season is long, but this week in Texas will linger — and the Prayers know it.