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Sacco Jrs Two-Run Double The Difference In Sugar Land's 5-4 Win

Blubaugh Hurls 5.0 Scoreless Innings In Final Regular Season Start
By Amanda Perry/Space Cowboys
September 18, 2024

In a tie game headed into the eighth, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (91-54, 42-28) pulled through and took the second game of the final regular season series against the Sacramento River Cats (78-68, 34-37) with a 5-4 win on Wednesday afternoon at Sutter Health Park. The Space Cowboys offense

In a tie game headed into the eighth, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (91-54, 42-28) pulled through and took the second game of the final regular season series against the Sacramento River Cats (78-68, 34-37) with a 5-4 win on Wednesday afternoon at Sutter Health Park.

The Space Cowboys offense was shut down by RHP Carson Ragsdale in the first two innings, but in the third, Tommy Sacco Jr. led off the frame with Sugar Land’s first extra-base hit of the game. Ragsdale got the next two Space Cowboys out, but Zach Dezenzo took the first pitch he saw and dropped it into shallow right field, sending Sacco Jr. home to score the first run of the game.

RHP AJ Blubaugh found himself in some first-inning trouble with two runners on and one out but got a pop out and a flyout to escape the opening frame unscathed. Despite allowing at least one baserunner in the first four frames, Blubaugh retired the final five batters he saw, hurling 5.0 scoreless frames and surrendering just three hits with two walks while striking out six.

Taking over for Blubaugh in the sixth was RHP Nick Hernandez, who gave up a single and a walk. Hunter Bishop came to the plate with one out and blooped a single into left field, sending Bryce Eldridge home to tie the game up at one. Hernandez got the final two outs of the inning to send the game to the seventh.

RHP Rafael Montero (W, 1-0) pitched a clean seventh inning, and in the top of the eighth, the Sugar Land offense went to work against LHP Raymond Burgos (L, 2-1). Dezenzo started the frame with a double into the right-center gap. Jacob Melton moved Dezenzo over to third on a sacrifice bunt, and Pedro León came up to the plate with one out. León tapped a grounder to the right side, which was out of the range of the first and second basemen, allowing Dezenzo to score while León safely reached first. Two pitches later, Trey Cabbage grounded into a force out to eliminate León on a fielder’s choice, but Cabbage took second on a stolen base. Brice Matthews then lined a base hit to center field to send Cabbage home, extending Sugar Land’s lead. Jesús Bastidas worked a walk, and Sacco Jr. added on to Sugar Land’s lead with a two-run double, putting the Space Cowboys up 5-1.

In the bottom half of the frame, RHP Luis Contreras gave up back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners for Bishop. Bishop sailed a deep fly ball for an out, but David Villar tagged up and scored to cut Sugar Land’s lead down to three. Contreras ended the inning by picking off Luis Matos at first base.

The Pacific Coast League saves leader RHP Wander Suero (S, 36) came in to close out the contest with a three-run cushion. Suero got Blake Sabol to fly out but walked Brett Auerbach to put a runner on with one out. Another flyout from Will Wilson brought the game within one out of a Sugar Land victory. However, Wade Meckler made things interesting by slamming a 2-2 changeup into the bullpen for a two-run homer, narrowing it a one-run game. Suero walked another batter to bring the go-ahead run to the plate in Eldridge, but the San Francisco Giants top prospect grounded out softly to end the game and give Sugar Land the 5-4 victory.

The Space Cowboys will take on the River Cats for the third game of the series on Thursday night. RHP Miguel Ullola (NR) will make his debut for Sugar Land opposite of Sacramento’s RHP Carson Seymour (7-10, 4.76). 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.

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