Four-Run Eighth Pushes Space Cowboys to 5-2 Win
PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Four-Run Eighth Pushes Space Cowboys to 5-2 Win

Published on April 10, 2026 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


SUGAR LAND, TX -The Sugar Land Space Cowboys (8-5) and Tacoma Rainiers (6-7) continued their tightly contested series on Friday night, as both teams delivered another strong performance on the defensive end before the Space Cowboys pulled away for a 5-2 win. Highlights of tonight's game can be found here.

On the mound, RHP Peter Lambert took the ball for the Space Cowboys and was brilliant over 6.0+ innings. The righty struck out eight and only allowed one runner to reach scoring position, scattering four hits while issuing just one walk.

Tacoma finally broke through in the top of the sixth inning when Patrick Wisdom connected on a deep home run to right-center field, giving the Rainiers a 1-0 lead.

Sugar Land answered right back in the bottom half of the inning, and once again it was Jack Winkler providing the spark. After homering the night before, Winkler stayed hot by turning on a 3-2 pitch from RHP Casey Lawrence (L, 0-2) and sending it deep over the left-field wall, tying the game at 1-1.

The game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the eighth, when Sugar Land's offense came alive. Kellen Strahm led off the inning with a double, building on his momentum from Thursday night's walk-off performance. César Salazar followed with a walk, and after a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, Jax Biggers drew a walk and Strahm raced in to score on a second wild pitch, giving Sugar Land a 2-1 edge.

With runners still threatening, Biggers swiped second base to put two in scoring position. Winkler continued his standout night with a sharp single to center field, driving in two runs and extending his RBI total to three on the night. CJ Alexander then worked a walk, and James Nelson capped off the inning with a line-drive single to right field, collecting his first RBI as a Space Cowboy and pushing the lead to 5-1.

Tacoma mounted a late push in the ninth inning when Brock Rodden ripped a double to put a runner in scoring position. Brennan Davis followed with a walk, and Victor Labrada was hit by a pitch to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. Johnny Pereda managed a sacrifice fly to plate a run, but that would be all the Rainiers could muster. Sugar Land held firm the rest of the way, securing a 5-2 victory and evening the series at two games apiece.

NOTABLE:

- Kellen Strahm went 3-for-3 on Friday, the first three-hit game for the Space Cowboys since Taylor Trammell collected three hits on March 31 at Jacksonville. It was Strahm's first three-hit game since June 8, 2025 when he went 3-for-5 with Round Rock at Salt Lake. Strahm has also now hit safely in three consecutive games and recorded a hit in five of his last six appearances.

- The Space Cowboys have now had back-to-back quality starts as RHP Peter Lambert turned in the third one of the season throwing six innings, only allowing four hits, one run, and striking out eight.

- Peter Lambert striking out eight is the second highest strikeout total by a starting pitcher this year only trailing behind Spencer Arrighetti's nine on April 3 at Jacksonville.

- Jack Wikler has now hit a home run in back-to-back games, his first time hitting home runs in back-to-back games since May 25 and 28 of last season with Jacksonville.

Sugar Land looks to gain control of the series on Saturday night against Tacoma. RHP Miguel Ullola is scheduled to start for the Space Cowboys against RHP Randy Dobnak for a 6:05 pm first pitch. The game can be heard online anywhere at SLSpaceCowboys.com/Listen.

Check out the Sugar Land Space Cowboys Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 10, 2026


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