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liberty-ca · 01-06-2026, 11:34 PM

BNN SERIES RECAP — JUNE 23–25, 1989
Prayers sweep the Cherubs, extend win streak to five, rotation continues to dominate
By Chad G. Petey & C.O. Pilot — Baseball News Network (BNN) and Gemmy Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle

TUCSON, AZ — The Sacramento Prayers (55-23) are making the rest of the American League West look like they're playing a different sport. By completing a three-game sweep of the Tucson Cherubs this weekend, Sacramento extended their winning streak to five games and maintained a massive 16.0-game lead in the division.

Through 78 games, the Prayers are playing at a 114-win pace, fueled by a pitching staff that leads the league in nearly every meaningful category.

★ ★ ★

GAME 1 — Friday, June 23, 1989
Prayers 6, Cherubs 1
Hernandez Finds the Gaps, Gray Finds the Ground

Francisco Hernandez had been mired in a season-long slump, but he broke out in a big way Friday night. Hernandez — who has spent most of June fighting to stay above the Mendoza line — delivered his best game of the season: 3-for-5, triple, homer, 3 RBI, 2 runs, and loud contact all night. Leading off the fourth, Hernandez drove a triple into the right-center gap, a line drive that split the outfield and rolled forever. It didn’t score a run by itself, but it cracked the game open mentally. Sacramento followed with two runs in the inning, then two more in the fifth, and the tone was set. His fourth‑inning triple set the tone, and his ninth‑inning two‑run blast sealed it. Hernandez wasn’t done. In the ninth, with Tucson already leaning toward the exits, he turned on a fastball and launched a two-run homer. “Determination,” Hernandez said afterward, offering the simplest explanation for a game Sacramento controlled from start to finish.

On the mound, Russ Gray was everything the Prayers needed him to be: calm, efficient, and grounded. Gray worked 6⅔ innings, allowed one run, and kept Tucson beating the ball into the dirt. Two double plays erased threats. A balk was the lone blemish in an otherwise measured outing. Matt Wright and José Vizcarra closed it out cleanly.

Key Notes:
- Hernandez now up to 6 HR, 27 RBI, and quietly 25 steals.
- Musco added his 14th homer.
- Sacramento turned two double plays, continuing their elite defensive efficiency.
- Win pushes Gray to 8–1, 2.01 ERA.

★ ★ ★

GAME 2 — Saturday, June 24, 1989
Prayers 6, Cherubs 4
Seventh Inning Fireworks

Saturday night refused to settle, and Tucson’s J.J. Costner nearly stole it by himself — 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI — but Sacramento’s power bats answered late.

Sacramento jumped early with a three-run first inning, highlighted by Hector Iniguez’s two-out double, then went quiet. Tucson answered back with power — back-to-back solo home runs off Fernando Salazar in the fourth — and suddenly the game was breathing again.

By the sixth, the Cherubs had climbed all the way back to 4–3, and the noise in Cherubs Fields rose accordingly. The turning point came in the seventh. That’s when Alex Velasquez stepped in.

With two outs in the seventh and a runner aboard, Velasquez unloaded on a hanging pitch and sent it screaming into the Tucson night — a two-run homer that flipped the game on its head. It was his only hit of the night, and it was everything.

“If the effort is there, the wins will come,” Velasquez told Sacramento Today afterward. Hector Iniguez followed with a solo shot, giving Sacramento the breathing room they needed.

Fernando Salazar wasn’t dominant, but he was durable: 8 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, and he didn’t walk a batter. Prieto closed it for save No. 20. Sacramento walked off the field with a win that felt heavier than the box score.

Key Notes:
- Iniguez continues to be one of the most quietly valuable hitters in the AL: 6 HR, 25 RBI, 24 doubles.
- Hicks added his 17th steal.
- Sacramento’s bullpen remains absurdly efficient: Prieto + Gaias + Wright + Vizcarra = 2.50 ERA combined.

★ ★ ★

GAME 3 — Sunday, June 25, 1989
Prayers 2, Cherubs 0 (10 innings)
Rubalcava Turns Silence into Art

This was a classic: two exhausted teams, two pitchers refusing to blink, and one ace who simply refused to lose.

In what might be the gutsiest performance of the season, Jordan Rubalcava (9-3) threw 9.0 innings of shutout ball, striking out eight on a staggering 121 pitches. Despite his dominance, the game went into the 10th inning tied at zero. Rubalcava was mesmerizing. Across from him, Tom Crossley matched the effort, scattering two hits of his own through eight shutout innings. Then Sacramento struck.

In the 10th, Hector Iniguez reached, and Luis Martinez lashed a two-run double, breaking the spell and finally giving Rubalcava something tangible to protect. Bret Perez added insurance with a sacrifice fly.

Prieto handled the bottom half with controlled tension, and the Prayers emerged victorious from a game that had demanded focus more than force. “I think we gave the fans their money’s worth,” Rubalcava said afterward — understated, as ever.

Key Notes:
- Sacramento sweeps the series and improves to 55–23.
- Win streak hits five.
- The Prayers’ rotation now features three starters with ERAs under 2.20.
- Sacramento is now 31–16 on the road, the best mark in the AL.

★ ★ ★

SERIES TAKEAWAYS
- Pitching continues to define the season.
Rubalcava, Larson, Gray, Salazar — all four are performing like All‑Stars.
- Hernandez’s breakout weekend could be a turning point for the struggling left fielder.
- Velasquez and Iniguez remain the heart of the middle order.
- Defense and baserunning remain elite: 81 steals, top‑3 in the AL, and the infield continues to convert grounders into outs at a league‑leading rate.

★ ★ ★

PRAYERS STATISTICAL DOMINANCE

Pitching Rankings (American League):
* ERA: 2.38 (1st)
* Opponent AVG: .217 (1st)
* Strikeouts: 502 (1st)
* Runs Allowed: 205 (1st)

★ ★ ★

Gemmy’s Take: Iron Lungs and Rubber Arms

Can we talk about Jordan Rubalcava? It’s 87 degrees in Tucson, the game is on the line, and the man goes out there for the 9th inning having already thrown 100+ pitches. He is the heartbeat of this rotation. With that performance, his ERA is down to a ridiculous 1.81. If he isn't the front-runner for the Cy Young right now, I don't know who is.

And how about Francisco Hernandez? I’ve been hard on him in the Chronicle lately because of that sub-.200 average, but he was the spark plug all weekend. He’s up to 25 stolen bases and is finally starting to drive the ball. If he and Alex Vieyra (.500 over his last 6 games!) keep hitting like this, the bottom of our order is going to be a nightmare for opposing pitchers.

We are officially in "History Watch" territory, folks. 55 wins before the end of June is unheard of.

★ ★ ★

UP NEXT: June 27–29
The Prayers now head to El Paso for a three-game set against the Abbots. The Abbots are scrappy, unpredictable, and always annoying at home.

01-06-2026, 11:34 PM	#137
liberty-ca Major Leagues Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: New Westminster, BC Posts: 304	BNN SERIES RECAP — JUNE 23–25, 1989 Prayers sweep the Cherubs, extend win streak to five, rotation continues to dominate By Chad G. Petey & C.O. Pilot — Baseball News Network (BNN) and Gemmy Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle TUCSON, AZ — The Sacramento Prayers (55-23) are making the rest of the American League West look like they're playing a different sport. By completing a three-game sweep of the Tucson Cherubs this weekend, Sacramento extended their winning streak to five games and maintained a massive 16.0-game lead in the division. Through 78 games, the Prayers are playing at a 114-win pace, fueled by a pitching staff that leads the league in nearly every meaningful category. ★ ★ ★ GAME 1 — Friday, June 23, 1989 Prayers 6, Cherubs 1 Hernandez Finds the Gaps, Gray Finds the Ground Francisco Hernandez had been mired in a season-long slump, but he broke out in a big way Friday night. Hernandez — who has spent most of June fighting to stay above the Mendoza line — delivered his best game of the season: 3-for-5, triple, homer, 3 RBI, 2 runs, and loud contact all night. Leading off the fourth, Hernandez drove a triple into the right-center gap, a line drive that split the outfield and rolled forever. It didn’t score a run by itself, but it cracked the game open mentally. Sacramento followed with two runs in the inning, then two more in the fifth, and the tone was set. His fourth‑inning triple set the tone, and his ninth‑inning two‑run blast sealed it. Hernandez wasn’t done. In the ninth, with Tucson already leaning toward the exits, he turned on a fastball and launched a two-run homer. “Determination,” Hernandez said afterward, offering the simplest explanation for a game Sacramento controlled from start to finish. On the mound, Russ Gray was everything the Prayers needed him to be: calm, efficient, and grounded. Gray worked 6⅔ innings, allowed one run, and kept Tucson beating the ball into the dirt. Two double plays erased threats. A balk was the lone blemish in an otherwise measured outing. Matt Wright and José Vizcarra closed it out cleanly. Key Notes: - Hernandez now up to 6 HR, 27 RBI, and quietly 25 steals. - Musco added his 14th homer. - Sacramento turned two double plays, continuing their elite defensive efficiency. - Win pushes Gray to 8–1, 2.01 ERA. ★ ★ ★ GAME 2 — Saturday, June 24, 1989 Prayers 6, Cherubs 4 Seventh Inning Fireworks Saturday night refused to settle, and Tucson’s J.J. Costner nearly stole it by himself — 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI — but Sacramento’s power bats answered late. Sacramento jumped early with a three-run first inning, highlighted by Hector Iniguez’s two-out double, then went quiet. Tucson answered back with power — back-to-back solo home runs off Fernando Salazar in the fourth — and suddenly the game was breathing again. By the sixth, the Cherubs had climbed all the way back to 4–3, and the noise in Cherubs Fields rose accordingly. The turning point came in the seventh. That’s when Alex Velasquez stepped in. With two outs in the seventh and a runner aboard, Velasquez unloaded on a hanging pitch and sent it screaming into the Tucson night — a two-run homer that flipped the game on its head. It was his only hit of the night, and it was everything. “If the effort is there, the wins will come,” Velasquez told Sacramento Today afterward. Hector Iniguez followed with a solo shot, giving Sacramento the breathing room they needed. Fernando Salazar wasn’t dominant, but he was durable: 8 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, and he didn’t walk a batter. Prieto closed it for save No. 20. Sacramento walked off the field with a win that felt heavier than the box score. Key Notes: - Iniguez continues to be one of the most quietly valuable hitters in the AL: 6 HR, 25 RBI, 24 doubles. - Hicks added his 17th steal. - Sacramento’s bullpen remains absurdly efficient: Prieto + Gaias + Wright + Vizcarra = 2.50 ERA combined. ★ ★ ★ GAME 3 — Sunday, June 25, 1989 Prayers 2, Cherubs 0 (10 innings) Rubalcava Turns Silence into Art This was a classic: two exhausted teams, two pitchers refusing to blink, and one ace who simply refused to lose. In what might be the gutsiest performance of the season, Jordan Rubalcava (9-3) threw 9.0 innings of shutout ball, striking out eight on a staggering 121 pitches. Despite his dominance, the game went into the 10th inning tied at zero. Rubalcava was mesmerizing. Across from him, Tom Crossley matched the effort, scattering two hits of his own through eight shutout innings. Then Sacramento struck. In the 10th, Hector Iniguez reached, and Luis Martinez lashed a two-run double, breaking the spell and finally giving Rubalcava something tangible to protect. Bret Perez added insurance with a sacrifice fly. Prieto handled the bottom half with controlled tension, and the Prayers emerged victorious from a game that had demanded focus more than force. “I think we gave the fans their money’s worth,” Rubalcava said afterward — understated, as ever. Key Notes: - Sacramento sweeps the series and improves to 55–23. - Win streak hits five. - The Prayers’ rotation now features three starters with ERAs under 2.20. - Sacramento is now 31–16 on the road, the best mark in the AL. ★ ★ ★ SERIES TAKEAWAYS - Pitching continues to define the season. Rubalcava, Larson, Gray, Salazar — all four are performing like All‑Stars. - Hernandez’s breakout weekend could be a turning point for the struggling left fielder. - Velasquez and Iniguez remain the heart of the middle order. - Defense and baserunning remain elite: 81 steals, top‑3 in the AL, and the infield continues to convert grounders into outs at a league‑leading rate. ★ ★ ★ PRAYERS STATISTICAL DOMINANCE Pitching Rankings (American League): * ERA: 2.38 (1st) * Opponent AVG: .217 (1st) * Strikeouts: 502 (1st) * Runs Allowed: 205 (1st) ★ ★ ★ Gemmy’s Take: Iron Lungs and Rubber Arms Can we talk about Jordan Rubalcava? It’s 87 degrees in Tucson, the game is on the line, and the man goes out there for the 9th inning having already thrown 100+ pitches. He is the heartbeat of this rotation. With that performance, his ERA is down to a ridiculous 1.81. If he isn't the front-runner for the Cy Young right now, I don't know who is. And how about Francisco Hernandez? I’ve been hard on him in the Chronicle lately because of that sub-.200 average, but he was the spark plug all weekend. He’s up to 25 stolen bases and is finally starting to drive the ball. If he and Alex Vieyra (.500 over his last 6 games!) keep hitting like this, the bottom of our order is going to be a nightmare for opposing pitchers. We are officially in "History Watch" territory, folks. 55 wins before the end of June is unheard of. ★ ★ ★ UP NEXT: June 27–29 The Prayers now head to El Paso for a three-game set against the Abbots. The Abbots are scrappy, unpredictable, and always annoying at home.