Hail César! Salazar's Slam Secure Space Cowboys Third Straight Win
For the second time this season, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (6-13, 39-55) hit a go-ahead grand slam to top the Albuquerque Isotopes (12-7, 39-55), winning 7-3 on Friday night at Constellation Field. With the game even at 2-2 in the sixth, Albuquerque took the lead on a solo home
For the second time this season, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (6-13, 39-55) hit a go-ahead grand slam to top the Albuquerque Isotopes (12-7, 39-55), winning 7-3 on Friday night at Constellation Field.
With the game even at 2-2 in the sixth, Albuquerque took the lead on a solo home run by Daniel Montaño, his second of the year. RHP Jimmy Endersby (W, 4-4) entered after the home run and spun 1.1 scoreless innings of relief.
Shay Whitcomb started the Sugar Land half of the sixth with a single and Jon Singleton followed with a walk. LHP Josh Rogers induced a flyout for the first out in the frame and was replaced by LHP PJ Poulin (L, 2-3), who walked JJ Matijevic to load the bases. Marty Costes hit into a fielder’s choice that kept the bases full, bringing up César Salazar, who launched an opposite field grand slam, vaulting the Space Cowboys to a 6-3 lead.
LHP Parker Mushinski (H, 4) turned in a scoreless inning in the eighth and Bannon connected for a home run to right in the bottom of the eighth, Bannon’s 10th of the year, pushing the Space Cowboys to a 7-3 advantage. RHP Enoli Paredes hurled a scoreless ninth to close out the win for Sugar Land.
Singleton gave Sugar Land a lead in the bottom of the second when he laced a home run over the left-field fence, his sixth since joining the Space Cowboys. The Isotopes were able to tie the game when Hunter Stovall reached on a fielding error, moved to third on a single and scored on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the third, Pedro León singled and Yordan Alvarez drove him in with a double down the left-field line, once again giving Sugar Land the lead. It was the 100th RBI at the Triple-A level for Alvarez, who went 1-for-4 with the double and RBI in his second game on Major League rehab with the Space Cowboys.
RHP Ronel Blanco allowed the tying run to score in the top of the fourth on a pair of walks and a single, but got a double play and a foul out that stranded the go-ahead run at third. The righty pitched 5.2 innings for Sugar Land, giving up three runs, two earned, on just four hits while striking out three.
Leading 3-1 in the series, the Space Cowboys continue their six-game set with the Isotopes on Saturday night. RHP Shawn Dubin (0-2, 7.47) is scheduled to start for Sugar Land while Albuquerque is set to counter with RHP Jeff Criswell (3-7, 8.65) 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.
*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.