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liberty-ca · 01-11-2026, 05:23 PM

BNN SERIES RECAP — JULY 17–19, 1989
STEADY AS EVER: PRAYERS DISPATCH CHERUBS, PUSH WEST LEAD TO 21½ GAMES
By Chad G. Petey & C.O. Pilot — Baseball News Network (BNN) and Gemmy Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle

SACRAMENTO, CA — Even with a roster that looks more like a hospital wing, the Sacramento Prayers (69-28) remain the most terrifying force in professional baseball. By sweeping the Tucson Cherubs at home, outscoring them 17–11 and getting big swings from a suddenly thunderous middle of the order, the Prayers have pushed their divisional lead to an incredible 21.5 games. With nearly 70 wins before the end of July, the city of Sacramento is already whispering about "October Destiny."

★ ★ ★

MONDAY, JULY 17 — PRAYERS 6, CHERUBS 3
Cruz Sets the Tone, Gray Keeps the Lead

Gil Cruz set the tone in the opener, doubling in the first and then smashing a two‑run homer in the third, when he turned on a Mike Bradford fastball and launched a rocket to put the Prayers firmly in control, as Sacramento built a 4–1 lead and never looked back.

“We took home the win,” Cruz said afterward, smiling. “What’s not to like?” Cruz finished with three RBI, while Alex Velasquez added two doubles and scored three times.

On the mound, Russ Gray wasn’t overpowering — he didn’t need to be. The right-hander scattered eight hits over 8⅓ innings, allowing three solo home runs but little else. No walks. No unraveling. Just efficiency.

Luis Prieto cleaned up the final outs for his 26th save, and Sacramento opened the series with the kind of composed win that has become routine.

Sacramento moved to 67–28 with the victory.

★ ★ ★

TUESDAY, JULY 18 — PRAYERS 6, CHERUBS 4
Hernandez’s triple sparks early rally; Rubalcava wins No. 11

Tuesday brought turbulence — and Jordan Rubalcava met it head-on. The Prayers jumped Tucson early again, this time with a four‑run second inning highlighted by Francisco Hernandez’s two‑run triple into right. Velasquez added two more RBI doubles, and Sam Strauss chipped in with a run‑scoring single.

Rubalcava bent but did not break. Over eight innings, he allowed four runs on nine hits, striking out eight and navigating repeated traffic with poise. The Cherubs threatened, chipped away, and applied pressure — but they never seized control.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re 10 games over .500 or 10 games under — it feels good to win,” Hernandez told Sacramento Today.

Prieto handled the ninth for save number 27, and Sacramento quietly pushed the series to the brink of a sweep. The win extended Sacramento’s streak to three.

★ ★ ★

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19 — PRAYERS 5, CHERUBS 4
Musco’s eighth‑inning blast seals the sweep

The finale was the tightest of the set, with Tucson tying the game 4–4 during a three‑run seventh. But in the bottom of the eighth, Edwin Musco delivered the decisive blow — a towering solo homer to left, his 18th of the season, giving Sacramento a 5–4 lead it would not relinquish and sending a frustrated Nick Green stalking off the mound. It was the decisive moment in a night defined by narrow edges.

Robby Larson battled through 6⅔ innings, absorbing unearned runs but limiting damage. Matt Wright remained flawless, earning his seventh win, and Ricky Gaias closed the door for his sixth save.

“I’m proud of the way we took care of business. Whatever it takes,” Musco said. “That’s the mindset.”* The only real concern came defensively, where Logan Hicks was injured again on a play in the outfield — another reminder that this roster is carrying wear as the summer grinds on.

★ ★ ★

SERIES NOTES

The "Sub-Two" Club
The Sacramento rotation is doing something historic. Following this series, three starters — Jordan Rubalcava (1.93), Robby Larson (1.95), and Russ Gray (1.98) — all boast ERAs under 2.00. The league average is nowhere near this. When your "worst" starter (Salazar) has a 3.29 ERA, you aren't just winning games; you're demoralizing the opposition.

Musco’s Clutch Gene
In the series finale, with the game knotted at 4-4 and the stadium tension high, Edwin Musco reminded everyone why he’s the heartbeat of this team. His solo blast in the bottom of the 8th inning was his 18th of the year, securing the sweep and keeping Matt Wright’s perfect 7-0 relief record intact.

The Center Field Vacuum
The victory was dampened by the sight of Logan Hicks clutching his side again. Having just returned to the lineup, Hicks aggravated his oblique injury on Wednesday. With Eli Murguia and Andres Valadez already on the long-term shelf, the Prayers are officially out of natural center fielders.

Footnote:

Alex Velasquez stayed red‑hot, going 7-for-13 with four doubles and a homer across the series.
Gil Cruz homered twice in the set and has four in his last seven games.
Sacramento improved to 34–10 at home and 69–28 overall, maintaining the best record in the league.

★ ★ ★

Gemmy’s Take: The "Magic Number" is Basically Five

I’m starting to think the Prayers could play the rest of the season with their eyes closed and still win the West. We are 21.5 games up. If Seattle won every single game for the next three weeks and we didn't show up to the park, we’d still be in first place.

But let’s get real — the injury report is starting to look like a grocery list for a pharmacy. Logan Hicks going down again is just cruel. We’ve got Camden Liston and Robby Aguirre out there now, and while I love an underdog story, we’re starting to see a lot of "zeroes" in the batting average column for the bottom of the order.

The good news? Gil Cruz is on an absolute tear. Since stepping in for the injured Bret Perez, he’s hitting over .420 with 4 homers in his last seven games. If he keeps this up, Bret might find his seat on the bench is a little colder when he gets back.

★ ★ ★

THE PRAYERS MEDICAL LEDGER

* CF Logan Hicks: Strained Oblique (Re-injured). Out 3 weeks.
* 3B Bret Perez: Strained Triceps. Out 3-4 weeks.
* SS Andres Valadez: Partially torn labrum. Out 3 months.
* LF Eli Murguia: PCL Tear. Out 4 months.

★ ★ ★

BY THE NUMBERS

* 71.1%: The Prayers' winning percentage — highest in the majors.
* 2.33: Team ERA — nearly a full run better than the league average.
* 11-1: Russ Gray’s record. Is it too early to start printing "Cy Young" flyers?

We’re heading to Brooklyn next to face the Priests in a three-game set. They’ve got some decent arms, but unless they can find a way to score more than two runs against our "Big Three" starters, they’re just going to be another notch on the belt.

01-11-2026, 05:23 PM	#143
liberty-ca All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: New Westminster, BC Posts: 589	BNN SERIES RECAP — JULY 17–19, 1989 STEADY AS EVER: PRAYERS DISPATCH CHERUBS, PUSH WEST LEAD TO 21½ GAMES By Chad G. Petey & C.O. Pilot — Baseball News Network (BNN) and Gemmy Nay, Sacramento Sports Chronicle SACRAMENTO, CA — Even with a roster that looks more like a hospital wing, the Sacramento Prayers (69-28) remain the most terrifying force in professional baseball. By sweeping the Tucson Cherubs at home, outscoring them 17–11 and getting big swings from a suddenly thunderous middle of the order, the Prayers have pushed their divisional lead to an incredible 21.5 games. With nearly 70 wins before the end of July, the city of Sacramento is already whispering about "October Destiny." ★ ★ ★ MONDAY, JULY 17 — PRAYERS 6, CHERUBS 3 Cruz Sets the Tone, Gray Keeps the Lead Gil Cruz set the tone in the opener, doubling in the first and then smashing a two‑run homer in the third, when he turned on a Mike Bradford fastball and launched a rocket to put the Prayers firmly in control, as Sacramento built a 4–1 lead and never looked back. “We took home the win,” Cruz said afterward, smiling. “What’s not to like?” Cruz finished with three RBI, while Alex Velasquez added two doubles and scored three times. On the mound, Russ Gray wasn’t overpowering — he didn’t need to be. The right-hander scattered eight hits over 8⅓ innings, allowing three solo home runs but little else. No walks. No unraveling. Just efficiency. Luis Prieto cleaned up the final outs for his 26th save, and Sacramento opened the series with the kind of composed win that has become routine. Sacramento moved to 67–28 with the victory. ★ ★ ★ TUESDAY, JULY 18 — PRAYERS 6, CHERUBS 4 Hernandez’s triple sparks early rally; Rubalcava wins No. 11 Tuesday brought turbulence — and Jordan Rubalcava met it head-on. The Prayers jumped Tucson early again, this time with a four‑run second inning highlighted by Francisco Hernandez’s two‑run triple into right. Velasquez added two more RBI doubles, and Sam Strauss chipped in with a run‑scoring single. Rubalcava bent but did not break. Over eight innings, he allowed four runs on nine hits, striking out eight and navigating repeated traffic with poise. The Cherubs threatened, chipped away, and applied pressure — but they never seized control. “It doesn’t matter if you’re 10 games over .500 or 10 games under — it feels good to win,” Hernandez told Sacramento Today. Prieto handled the ninth for save number 27, and Sacramento quietly pushed the series to the brink of a sweep. The win extended Sacramento’s streak to three. ★ ★ ★ WEDNESDAY, JULY 19 — PRAYERS 5, CHERUBS 4 Musco’s eighth‑inning blast seals the sweep The finale was the tightest of the set, with Tucson tying the game 4–4 during a three‑run seventh. But in the bottom of the eighth, Edwin Musco delivered the decisive blow — a towering solo homer to left, his 18th of the season, giving Sacramento a 5–4 lead it would not relinquish and sending a frustrated Nick Green stalking off the mound. It was the decisive moment in a night defined by narrow edges. Robby Larson battled through 6⅔ innings, absorbing unearned runs but limiting damage. Matt Wright remained flawless, earning his seventh win, and Ricky Gaias closed the door for his sixth save. “I’m proud of the way we took care of business. Whatever it takes,” Musco said. “That’s the mindset.”* The only real concern came defensively, where Logan Hicks was injured again on a play in the outfield — another reminder that this roster is carrying wear as the summer grinds on. ★ ★ ★ SERIES NOTES The "Sub-Two" Club The Sacramento rotation is doing something historic. Following this series, three starters — Jordan Rubalcava (1.93), Robby Larson (1.95), and Russ Gray (1.98) — all boast ERAs under 2.00. The league average is nowhere near this. When your "worst" starter (Salazar) has a 3.29 ERA, you aren't just winning games; you're demoralizing the opposition. Musco’s Clutch Gene In the series finale, with the game knotted at 4-4 and the stadium tension high, Edwin Musco reminded everyone why he’s the heartbeat of this team. His solo blast in the bottom of the 8th inning was his 18th of the year, securing the sweep and keeping Matt Wright’s perfect 7-0 relief record intact. The Center Field Vacuum The victory was dampened by the sight of Logan Hicks clutching his side again. Having just returned to the lineup, Hicks aggravated his oblique injury on Wednesday. With Eli Murguia and Andres Valadez already on the long-term shelf, the Prayers are officially out of natural center fielders. Footnote: Alex Velasquez stayed red‑hot, going 7-for-13 with four doubles and a homer across the series. Gil Cruz homered twice in the set and has four in his last seven games. Sacramento improved to 34–10 at home and 69–28 overall, maintaining the best record in the league. ★ ★ ★ Gemmy’s Take: The "Magic Number" is Basically Five I’m starting to think the Prayers could play the rest of the season with their eyes closed and still win the West. We are 21.5 games up. If Seattle won every single game for the next three weeks and we didn't show up to the park, we’d still be in first place. But let’s get real — the injury report is starting to look like a grocery list for a pharmacy. Logan Hicks going down again is just cruel. We’ve got Camden Liston and Robby Aguirre out there now, and while I love an underdog story, we’re starting to see a lot of "zeroes" in the batting average column for the bottom of the order. The good news? Gil Cruz is on an absolute tear. Since stepping in for the injured Bret Perez, he’s hitting over .420 with 4 homers in his last seven games. If he keeps this up, Bret might find his seat on the bench is a little colder when he gets back. ★ ★ ★ THE PRAYERS MEDICAL LEDGER * CF Logan Hicks: Strained Oblique (Re-injured). Out 3 weeks. * 3B Bret Perez: Strained Triceps. Out 3-4 weeks. * SS Andres Valadez: Partially torn labrum. Out 3 months. * LF Eli Murguia: PCL Tear. Out 4 months. ★ ★ ★ BY THE NUMBERS * 71.1%: The Prayers' winning percentage — highest in the majors. * 2.33: Team ERA — nearly a full run better than the league average. * 11-1: Russ Gray’s record. Is it too early to start printing "Cy Young" flyers? We’re heading to Brooklyn next to face the Priests in a three-game set. They’ve got some decent arms, but unless they can find a way to score more than two runs against our "Big Three" starters, they’re just going to be another notch on the belt.