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PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Explosive Offense Gets Sugar Land Back in the Win Column

August 21, 2024 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


SUGAR LAND, TX - Thanks to a pair of three-run innings, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (75-46, 26-20) snapped their six-game losing streak by defeating the Albuquerque Isotopes (47-75, 21-26) 7-2 on Wednesday night at Constellation Field.

Elehuris Montero got Albuquerque on the board in the opening frame with a solo home run, but the Space Cowboys countered back in the bottom of the first with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Jacob Melton to knot it up. That would not be all for Sugar Land in the first, as César Salazar came up to the plate with runners on second and third and tapped a soft grounder to the third baseman Montero, who could not field the ball cleanly, allowing Pedro León to score and everyone to advance a bag. With the bases loaded after a walk from Jesús Bastidas, Kenedy Corona drove in the first run of his Triple-A career on a sacrifice fly to left field, giving Grae Kessinger enough time to tag up and cross home, putting up a three-spot on Colorado Rockies rehab pitcher RHP Ryan Feltner (L, 0-1).

With Feltner back out for the third, Melton hit a single to left field and was a one-out baserunner for Bastidas, who drove in Melton with a double inside of third to tack on another run for the Space Cowboys. Corona drew a four-pitch walk, and Omar Narváez hit his 10th career triple down the right-field line to score two and put Sugar Land up 6-1 after three.

On his rare triple, Narváez said, "It means a lot. It's something you don't see every day, especially from me, but it felt good to bring in two RBIs for the team."

After the first inning home run, RHP AJ Blubaugh (W, 9-3) retired 14 of the next 17 batters he faced, allowing a one-out walk and double in the sixth to put runners on second and third for the Isotopes. Yanquiel Hernandez grounded out to first, allowing the runner from third to come home and bring the Space Cowboys lead down to four. However, Jacob Amaya crushed a solo bomb to left field to get the lost run back at 7-2 in the bottom of the sixth. Blubaugh's night ended after six innings of two-run ball, allowing just three hits and walking two with six strikeouts, hurling his fifth quality start of the season.

Sugar Land's bullpen consisting of RHP Ray Gaither, RHP Forrest Whitley and RHP Nick Hernandez combined to surrender just one hit and spun three scoreless innings while leading Sugar Land to the 7-2 victory, snapping their longest losing streak of the season at six games. Blubaugh earned his ninth win, which is tied for the most in the Pacific Coast League.

The Space Cowboys continue their 12-game homestand on Thursday night. Sugar Land's RHP Ryan Gusto (6-4, 4.26) will start opposite of Albuquerque's LHP Carson Palmquist (0-0, 6.14) for a 7:05 pm CT first pitch. The game can be heard on ESPN 92.5 FM or online here and seen on MiLB.TV, MLB.TV or Bally Live.

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