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PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Gusto Hurls Eighth Quality Start in 4-2 Win Against Oklahoma City

September 3, 2024 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - In the opening game of a six-game set against the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (70-63, 30-28), the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (83-49, 34-23) held on to win a 4-2 contest thanks to early runs off a Los Angeles Dodgers rehabber on Tuesday night at Chicksaw Bricktown Ballpark. [?Folder icon] Highlights of tonight's game can be found here.

In the top of the first, Grae Kessinger drew a lead-off walk and Trey Cabbage doubled to put runners at second and third with no outs against starter RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (L, 0-1) on a rehab assignment with Oklahoma City. With Pedro León at the plate, the outfielder lifted a fly ball to the warning track that was caught but was deep enough to give enough time for Kessinger to score from third. Two pitches later, Jacob Melton put another run across the plate on a groundout to shortstop, giving the Space Cowboys a quick 2-0 advantage.

In the third, a single from León and a double from Melton gave Sugar Land runners in scoring position again for Cooper Hummel. Hummel ripped a slider for a flyout deep enough to allow León to tag up and score on the throw to extend Sugar Land's lead to 3-1.

Back-to-back singles from Kessinger and Cabbage placed runners on first and second in the fifth, and Melton lined a 1-0 slider to left field for a base hit to score Kessinger from second, putting the Space Cowboys up 4-0.

RHP Ryan Gusto (W, 7-5) was perfect through 3.2 frames, giving up a walk to Andre Lipicus to allow the first baserunner of the night for Oklahoma City, but the 25-year-old got a flyout to end the fourth. With one out in the fifth, Kody Hoese put up the first hit and run for Oklahoma City on a solo shot over the fence in left field, ending Gusto's no-hitter and cutting Sugar Land's lead to 4-1. The righty starter returned for the seventh and allowed the first two batters to reach on a walk and an infield single. After a mound visit, Gusto needed just nine pitches to get the next three outs, ending his night on a high note as he delivered his eighth quality start of the season and his fifth outing of at least 7.0 innings this year.

Taking over the eighth was RHP Rafael Montero (H, 2), who got the first two outs of the inning with ease before allowing a hustle double to Drew Avans and a walk to Dalton Rushing. Montero got the next batter to slice a fastball to deep right field that was run down by León for the final out of the inning. In the ninth, RHP Wander Suero (S, 32) came in for the save. Suero got Ryan Ward to pop out in foul territory for the first out but surrendered a solo homer to James Outman to bring Oklahoma City within two. Suero got another out before Alex Freeland lined a single to right field. The closer recovered to get Alex Freeland looking at strike three for his 32nd save, just one away from tying the Pacific Coast League record in the category.

The Space Cowboys play the second game in their final series against Oklahoma on Wednesday night. Sugar Land's LHP Colton Gordon (7-1, 4.52) will face off against Oklahoma City's RHP Hyun-il Choi (4-4, 4.25) for a 7:05 pm 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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Pacific Coast League Stories from September 3, 2024


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