Gusto Magnificent in Career-High Night
A couple of three-run innings powered the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (50-26, 1-0) over the Tacoma Rainiers (43-44, 0-1) in the first game of the second half in a 6-1 victory on Tuesday night at Constellation Field. RHP Ryan Gusto’s (2-1) performance stole the show, spinning 7.0 dominant innings, allowing
A couple of three-run innings powered the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (50-26, 1-0) over the Tacoma Rainiers (43-44, 0-1) in the first game of the second half in a 6-1 victory on Tuesday night at Constellation Field.
RHP Ryan Gusto’s (2-1) performance stole the show, spinning 7.0 dominant innings, allowing only four hits, three of them coming in the first two frames. After the second, Gusto faced the minimum until the seventh inning when he issued a two-out walk to Leo Rivas. After a mound visit, all Gusto needed was three more pitches to get Seby Zavala to fly out to right and end his brilliant outing while extending his scoreless inning streak to 9.1 frames.
The Space Cowboys put up a three-spot in the second inning, when Grae Kessinger and Jacob Amaya hit back-to-back singles to put two on for David Hensley. Hensley lined a double down the left-field line that sent both runners home to put Sugar Land up 2-0 early on. Ryan Wrobleski then blooped a single into center to score Hensley, but Wrobleski was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into extra bases.
✌️ for ✌️ pic.twitter.com/U3RWJUnlkb
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) June 26, 2024
Wrobleski led off the fifth inning with his first Triple-A home run of his career, a solo shot soaring 394 feet to left-center field. A couple of batters later, after Shay Whitcomb singled, Will Wagner hit a two-run jack off a slider from RHP Michael Mariot (L, 4-4), continuing his 10-game hitting streak and 14-game on-base streak. The infielder has also knocked in a run in nine-straight games, tying a PCL-high for the longest of the season, while extending his Space Cowboys franchise record streak.
First Triple-A homer alert 🚨
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) June 26, 2024
👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/mbOY3o7S4F
After Gusto’s spectacular outing, RHP Drew Strotman came in relief and surrendered a homer to Cade Marlowe to break up the shutout but recovered to get two more outs without any further damage. RHP Kaleb Ort took the ninth and didn’t allow a baserunner to close the game out and give Sugar Land their 50th win of the season.
The Space Cowboys play their second in a six-game set against the Tacoma Rainiers Wednesday night. RHP Conner Greene (5-1, 3.93) will take the mound in a 7:05 pm CT first pitch, while Tacoma’s 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.
ABOUT THE SUGAR LAND SPACE COWBOYS:
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros and compete in the Pacific Coast League. They began play as the Astros Triple-A affiliate in 2021 and began playing under the Space Cowboys brand in 2022. The Space Cowboys play at Constellation Field, located at the corner of Hwy-6 and US-90 Alternate in Sugar Land, Texas. Follow the team on Twitter (@SLSpaceCowboys), Instagram (@slspacecowboys), Facebook (SLSpaceCowboys) and their official website (slspacecowboys.com). Fans can purchase full-season and partial-season plans, as well as single-game tickets, by visiting slspacecowboys.com/tickets.