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PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Loperfido Launches Three Homers as Space Cowboys Roll to 16-2 Win

April 13, 2024 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


ALBUQUERQUE, NM - Powered by 16 hits and five home runs from the offense, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (9-4) soundly topped the Albuquerque Isotopes (2-11) 16-2 at Isotopes Park on Friday night.

Jesús Bastidas put Sugar Land on the board first, smoking a two-run home run off the roof in left field off Albuquerque starter LHP Ty Blach (L, 0-1), Bastidas's fourth home run of the year.

The Space Cowboys offense broke out in the fourth inning, propelled by back-to-back solo jacks by Joey Loperfido and Trey Cabbage, flying 420 and 421 feet, respectively. The home run for Loperfido marked his seventh of the season. Later in the inning, Pedro León was hit by the pitch and Shay Whitcomb singled, sending León to third. With Jacob Amaya at the dish, he dribbled a ball to shortstop, beating it out for a base hit. A throwing error on the play allowed León and Whitcomb to cross home plate to make the score 6-0 by heading to the bottom of the frame.

The Isotopes were able tack on a couple of runs in the bottom of the fourth from a base hit and a fielding error, pulling within four at 6-2.

With the bases loaded for Sugar Land in the top of the fifth, Bastidas tacked on his third RBI of the night by sending a sac fly deep enough to score Corey Julks from third, giving the Space Cowboys a 7-2 lead.

Loperfido took over the PCL and Triple-A home run lead in the top of the seventh inning with a monster shot to right-center field, soaring 440 feet. He wasn't done after that, as he came up later in the same inning with the bases loaded and connected for a grand slam, his third home run of the night and ninth of the season. RBIs by León, Bastidas, and Amaya helped bring Sugar Land's lead to 16-2 after seven inning. For Loperfido, it was the first grand slam of his career and his first three-home run game, while he also set a single-game career high with seven RBI.

Starter RHP Rhett Kouba pitched 3.2 innings, giving up two runs, none earned, on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Though he didn't factor into the decision, Kouba worked out of a pair of bases loaded jams in the first three frames and kept the Isotopes in check while Sugar Land's offense went to work. RHP Connor Greene (W, 1-0) relieved him, pitching 2.1 one-hit innings, striking out two. Relievers RHP Ray Gaither, RHP Drew Strotman and RHP Miguel Díaz pitched 3.0 scoreless innings to keep the Isotopes scoring at two.

The Space Cowboys play their fifth game against the Albuquerque Isotopes Saturday night at Isotopes Park. RHP Ryan Gusto is set to take the mound for a 7:35 pm CT first pitch against Albuquerque's RHP Thomas Ponticelli. 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 April 13, 2024


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