PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Watkins Turns in Quality Outing as Sugar Land Tops Isotopes 11-3

Published on July 20, 2023 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


SUGAR LAND, TX - A quality outing from their starter and double-digit hits propelled the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (38-55, 5-13) to an 11-3 victory over the Albuquerque Isotopes (39-54, 12-6) on Thursday night at Constellation Field. Highlights of tonight's game can be found here.

Pedro León led off the bottom of the first with a sharp single to right and Justin Dirden followed with a walk. RHP Phillips Valdez (L, 5-4) balked to move the runners up 90 feet, and Quincy Hamilton brought in the first run with a ground out. Jon Singleton worked a two-out free pass and Rylan Bannon drove in Dirden with a single to left, giving the Space Cowboys a 2-0 lead.

Albuquerque struck back for a run in the top of the third inning. After RHP Spenser Watkins (W, 1-2) had retired seven in a row, Jimmy Herron doubled and Cole Tucker singled, plating a run to make it 2-1. Watkins would not yield a run the rest of the night, hurling six total innings and giving up just two hits after the third, striking out four on the night. The six innings is a season high for Watkins, who made eight appearances with Triple-A Norfolk before being traded to the Astros in late June.

Sugar Land gave their starter all the run support he would need in the third. Hamilton doubled to begin the inning and scored on a single to left by Shay Whitcomb. Singleton then ripped a 114.2 mph double to right, placing men at second and third, and a walk to Bannon loaded the bases, ending the evening for Valdez. Joe Perez scored a pair with a single to left, moving the Space Cowboys ahead 5-0. Luke Berryhill and León both walked, forcing in a run, and a sacrifice fly from Dirden gave Sugar Land their fifth run of the frame, widening the lead to 7-1.

Whitcomb kicked off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run to left, his 12th at Triple-A and 24th overall of the year, and a sacrifice fly from Perez widened the Sugar Land advantage to 9-1. The Space Cowboys scored their final two runs of the night in the fifth on a walk, a single, a hit batter, a double play and a fielding error. RHP Austin Hansen (S, 3) tossed the final three innings for Sugar Land, giving up just two runs on two hits while striking out four.

Leading the series two games to one, Sugar Land continues their six-game set with the Isotopes on Friday night. RHP Ronel Blanco (2-1, 3.54) is scheduled to start for Sugar Land against Albuquerque RHP Karl Kauffmann (2-5, 6.94) 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.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 20, 2023


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