PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Space Cowboys Drop Tough Matchup in Extras

Published on June 1, 2024 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


César Salazar's Two-Run Blast In The Eighth Doesn't Hold Up LAS VEGAS, NV - Despite overcoming yet another early deficit in the late innings, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (35-20) were walked off in the tenth inning by the Las Vegas Aviators (27-28) 7-6 on Friday night at Las Vegas Ballpark.

Will Wagner was a two-out baserunner in the first inning after smashing a triple off the left field wall to bring up Trey Cabbage, who launched his seventh home run of the season 464 feet to give the Space Cowboys a 2-0 lead in the first.

RHP Ryan Gusto took the mound in the bottom of the frame and gave up a lead-off single to Lawerence Butler. Gusto recovered to get the next two batters to strikeout, but a base-hit from Yohel Pozo scored Butler from second to cut Sugar Land's lead in half. In the third, the Aviators got to Gusto with back-to-back home runs from Ryan Noda and Pozo to put Las Vegas on top. With runners on the corners in the fourth, Nick Allen tacked on another for the Aviators with a sacrifice fly to give Las Vegas a 4-2 lead.

The 4-2 score remained until the top of the eighth inning, when back-to-back walks with no outs to Cabbage and Pedro León heated things up for the Space Cowboys. Cooper Hummel chopped a pitch from RHP Zach Jackson past the second baseman for a base hit, sending Cabbage home to bring Sugar Land within one. After León was picked off at third on a failed squeeze, César Salazar picked him up by mashing a 2-1 pitch from RHP Gerardo Reyes out of the ballpark for a two-run shot, leaping the Space Cowboys over the Aviators with a 5-4 advantage. Sugar Land would tag on an insurance run in the ninth inning on an RBI triple from Wagner, his second of the game, after Jesús Bastidas led off the frame with a double.

After pitching a clean stanza in the eighth, RHP Logan VanWey went back out to attempt to complete a two-inning save. The first batter of the ninth VanWey faced reached on a bloop single, and the next batter, Noda, knocked his second long ball of the game to tie the contest up at six. After recovering to get the next two outs, VanWey was relieved by RHP Conner Greene to snag the last out of the inning, which he did by striking out Quincy Nieporte.

Greene returned in the tenth to work around the automatic runner at second. The righty induced a lineout from Jordan Díaz, but Hoy Park worked a full count and sent the sixth pitch of the at-bat the other way to score Lazaro Armenteros, walking the Space Cowboys off 7-6.

Sugar Land looks to bounce back on Saturday night against Las Vegas. RHP Blair Henley (2-3, 4.78) will take the mound for the Space Cowboys after a brilliant start last Sunday for a 9:05 pm CT first pitch. The Aviators' starter is TBA. 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 June 1, 2024


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