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liberty-ca · 12-30-2025, 11:00 PM

BNN SERIES RECAP — MAY 1–3, 1989
Desert Disaster: Prayers Surrender First Place in Tucson Heartbreaker
By Chad G. Petey and C.O.Pilot – Baseball News Network (BNN) and Gemmy Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle

TUCSON, AZ — The desert has a way of stripping games down to their essentials — heat, patience, and mistakes magnified under open sky. Over three nights in Tucson, the Sacramento Prayers found all three waiting for them. The "Clash for the Coast" turned into a nightmare in the desert for the Sacramento Prayers (19-13). After entering the series with a chance to bury the Tucson Cherubs, Sacramento instead watched their division lead evaporate, losing two out of three in increasingly painful fashion.

With the series loss, the Tucson Cherubs (19-12) have officially leaped over Sacramento to claim first place in the West. Prayers entered Tucson clinging to first place and desperate for stability after a turbulent end to April. They left with more questions than answers.

A brilliant complete game from Robby Larson opened the series on a high note — but the offense vanished again, and the bullpen cracked twice in extra innings, handing Tucson a 2–1 series win and pulling the Cherubs within a whisper of the division lead.

Sacramento now sits at 19–13, still in first place but clearly wobbling.

★ ★ ★

MONDAY, MAY 1 — PRAYERS 4, CHERUBS 1

Larson Goes the Distance; Ninth‑Inning Surge Seals It

Robby Larson delivered the kind of outing that defines an ace: 9 innings, 6 hits, 1 run, 7 strikeouts, no walks, total command. Sacramento rode his masterpiece to a 4–1 win.

Key moments:

- Sam Strauss opened the scoring with a first‑inning solo homer — his third of the year.
- The game stayed 1–1 into the ninth, when the Prayers erupted:
- Eli Murguia tripled
- Strauss doubled
- Hector Iniguez ripped a two‑run double

It was the kind of late‑inning execution Sacramento had been missing for weeks.

Larson improved to 3–2 with a sparkling 1.92 ERA, and the Prayers briefly pushed their record to 19–11.

★ ★ ★

TUESDAY, MAY 2 — CHERUBS 1, PRAYERS 0 (10 INNINGS)

Another Shutout Loss as Offense Hits Rock Bottom

The momentum died instantly on Tuesday. Sacramento’s offensive slump reached a new low: one hit in ten innings.

The game unfolded as a duel — two starters, Russ Gray and Mike Bradford, trading zeroes with stubborn resolve. Gray danced out of trouble repeatedly, bending around baserunners without breaking. Bradford was even sharper, allowing just one hit in eight innings. Sacramento never advanced a runner past first base.

Luis Prieto, already showing signs of fatigue from heavy April usage, took the loss after allowing a walk‑off single to Virgile Perfelti in the tenth. The Prayers’ lone hit came from Edwin Musco, who has been fighting to climb out of a prolonged slump.

It was Sacramento’s fourth shutout loss in nine days.

★ ★ ★

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3 — CHERUBS 8, PRAYERS 5 (11 INNINGS)

Rossi Torches Sacramento; Bullpen Collapses Again

This one will sting for a while. Wednesday’s finale was a collapse of epic proportions. Sacramento built leads of 1–0, 3–0, 4–1, and 5–2 — only to watch Tucson claw back, tie it in the ninth, and win it in the eleventh.

The story was J.D. Rossi, who delivered one of the most devastating performances against Sacramento all season:

- 3‑for‑5
- Two home runs
- Six RBI
- Game‑tying three‑run homer in the ninth
- Walk‑off three‑run homer in the eleventh

Sacramento’s bullpen — already stretched thin — cracked again:

- Prieto: blown save (his second), 2 runs allowed
- Gaias: three‑run walk‑off homer allowed, tagged with the loss

The offense showed life — 11 hits, including:

- Hector Iniguez: 3‑for‑4, two doubles
- Edwin Musco: triple + RBI
- Alex Vieyra: three hits, RBI
- Sam Strauss: RBI single

But 15 runners left on base told the story.

Sacramento falls to 19–13, and Tucson pulls within ½ game of first place.

★ ★ ★

SERIES TAKEAWAYS

1. The Bullpen Is Breaking Down
Prieto and Gaias have now blown three saves in five days.
Both are officially “slightly tired” — and it shows.

2. The Offense Is Still Inconsistent
Across the three games:

- 10 total runs
- One hit in Game 2
- 15 runners stranded in Game 3
- Team AVG now down to .223 on the season

3. Larson and Gray Are Carrying the Staff
Larson’s complete game and Gray’s near‑shutout the night before show the rotation remains elite — but exhausted.

4. Murguia Continues to Produce
Even in a quiet series, he added:

- Triple
- RBI
- Now 20 RBI, leading the team

5. Sacramento’s Division Lead Is in No More
The West standings as of May 3:

1. Tucson — 19–12 (½ GB)
2. Sacramento — 19–13
3. San Jose — 15–14
4. Seattle — 14–15
5. Fort Worth — 14–15

★ ★ ★

Gemmy’s Take: A Crisis of Confidence?

This series was a gut punch. Not only did the Prayers lose the division lead, but the bullpen—previously the team's greatest strength—looked completely human. Luis Prieto has now blown two saves in his last three appearances.

Furthermore, Eli Murguia continues to deal with a day-to-day injury, being subbed out late in games for Logan Hicks. Without Murguia at 100% and with Bret Perez still a week away, the lineup is producing historically low hit totals.

The road doesn't get easier as the Prayers head to Washington to face the Devils.

★ ★ ★

UP NEXT

Sacramento heads to Washington for a three‑game set against the Devils, who boast one of the league’s toughest pitching staffs.

Projected matchups:

- Fri, May 5: Huitron (3–4, 3.59)
- Sat, May 6: O’Brien (3–1, 2.22)
- Sun, May 7: TBD

The Prayers need rest, runs, and relief help — in that order.

12-30-2025, 11:00 PM	#122
liberty-ca Major Leagues Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: New Westminster, BC Posts: 358	BNN SERIES RECAP — MAY 1–3, 1989 Desert Disaster: Prayers Surrender First Place in Tucson Heartbreaker By Chad G. Petey and C.O.Pilot – Baseball News Network (BNN) and Gemmy Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle TUCSON, AZ — The desert has a way of stripping games down to their essentials — heat, patience, and mistakes magnified under open sky. Over three nights in Tucson, the Sacramento Prayers found all three waiting for them. The "Clash for the Coast" turned into a nightmare in the desert for the Sacramento Prayers (19-13). After entering the series with a chance to bury the Tucson Cherubs, Sacramento instead watched their division lead evaporate, losing two out of three in increasingly painful fashion. With the series loss, the Tucson Cherubs (19-12) have officially leaped over Sacramento to claim first place in the West. Prayers entered Tucson clinging to first place and desperate for stability after a turbulent end to April. They left with more questions than answers. A brilliant complete game from Robby Larson opened the series on a high note — but the offense vanished again, and the bullpen cracked twice in extra innings, handing Tucson a 2–1 series win and pulling the Cherubs within a whisper of the division lead. Sacramento now sits at 19–13, still in first place but clearly wobbling. ★ ★ ★ MONDAY, MAY 1 — PRAYERS 4, CHERUBS 1 Larson Goes the Distance; Ninth‑Inning Surge Seals It Robby Larson delivered the kind of outing that defines an ace: 9 innings, 6 hits, 1 run, 7 strikeouts, no walks, total command. Sacramento rode his masterpiece to a 4–1 win. Key moments: - Sam Strauss opened the scoring with a first‑inning solo homer — his third of the year. - The game stayed 1–1 into the ninth, when the Prayers erupted: - Eli Murguia tripled - Strauss doubled - Hector Iniguez ripped a two‑run double It was the kind of late‑inning execution Sacramento had been missing for weeks. Larson improved to 3–2 with a sparkling 1.92 ERA, and the Prayers briefly pushed their record to 19–11. ★ ★ ★ TUESDAY, MAY 2 — CHERUBS 1, PRAYERS 0 (10 INNINGS) Another Shutout Loss as Offense Hits Rock Bottom The momentum died instantly on Tuesday. Sacramento’s offensive slump reached a new low: one hit in ten innings. The game unfolded as a duel — two starters, Russ Gray and Mike Bradford, trading zeroes with stubborn resolve. Gray danced out of trouble repeatedly, bending around baserunners without breaking. Bradford was even sharper, allowing just one hit in eight innings. Sacramento never advanced a runner past first base. Luis Prieto, already showing signs of fatigue from heavy April usage, took the loss after allowing a walk‑off single to Virgile Perfelti in the tenth. The Prayers’ lone hit came from Edwin Musco, who has been fighting to climb out of a prolonged slump. It was Sacramento’s fourth shutout loss in nine days. ★ ★ ★ WEDNESDAY, MAY 3 — CHERUBS 8, PRAYERS 5 (11 INNINGS) Rossi Torches Sacramento; Bullpen Collapses Again This one will sting for a while. Wednesday’s finale was a collapse of epic proportions. Sacramento built leads of 1–0, 3–0, 4–1, and 5–2 — only to watch Tucson claw back, tie it in the ninth, and win it in the eleventh. The story was J.D. Rossi, who delivered one of the most devastating performances against Sacramento all season: - 3‑for‑5 - Two home runs - Six RBI - Game‑tying three‑run homer in the ninth - Walk‑off three‑run homer in the eleventh Sacramento’s bullpen — already stretched thin — cracked again: - Prieto: blown save (his second), 2 runs allowed - Gaias: three‑run walk‑off homer allowed, tagged with the loss The offense showed life — 11 hits, including: - Hector Iniguez: 3‑for‑4, two doubles - Edwin Musco: triple + RBI - Alex Vieyra: three hits, RBI - Sam Strauss: RBI single But 15 runners left on base told the story. Sacramento falls to 19–13, and Tucson pulls within ½ game of first place. ★ ★ ★ SERIES TAKEAWAYS 1. The Bullpen Is Breaking Down Prieto and Gaias have now blown three saves in five days. Both are officially “slightly tired” — and it shows. 2. The Offense Is Still Inconsistent Across the three games: - 10 total runs - One hit in Game 2 - 15 runners stranded in Game 3 - Team AVG now down to .223 on the season 3. Larson and Gray Are Carrying the Staff Larson’s complete game and Gray’s near‑shutout the night before show the rotation remains elite — but exhausted. 4. Murguia Continues to Produce Even in a quiet series, he added: - Triple - RBI - Now 20 RBI, leading the team 5. Sacramento’s Division Lead Is in No More The West standings as of May 3: 1. Tucson — 19–12 (½ GB) 2. Sacramento — 19–13 3. San Jose — 15–14 4. Seattle — 14–15 5. Fort Worth — 14–15 ★ ★ ★ Gemmy’s Take: A Crisis of Confidence? This series was a gut punch. Not only did the Prayers lose the division lead, but the bullpen—previously the team's greatest strength—looked completely human. Luis Prieto has now blown two saves in his last three appearances. Furthermore, Eli Murguia continues to deal with a day-to-day injury, being subbed out late in games for Logan Hicks. Without Murguia at 100% and with Bret Perez still a week away, the lineup is producing historically low hit totals. The road doesn't get easier as the Prayers head to Washington to face the Devils. ★ ★ ★ UP NEXT Sacramento heads to Washington for a three‑game set against the Devils, who boast one of the league’s toughest pitching staffs. Projected matchups: - Fri, May 5: Huitron (3–4, 3.59) - Sat, May 6: O’Brien (3–1, 2.22) - Sun, May 7: TBD The Prayers need rest, runs, and relief help — in that order.