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Sugar Land Strikes First, But River Cats Fight Back For The Win

Palma Goes 2-For-4 With an RBI in Second Game as a Space Cowboy
By Amanda Perry/Space Cowboys
September 18, 2024

Despite taking the lead early in the first, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (90-54, 41-28) were unable to hold the advantage against the Sacramento River Cats (78-67, 34-36), dropping the series opener 6-3 on Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park. The Space Cowboys struck first in the opening frame off

Despite taking the lead early in the first, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (90-54, 41-28) were unable to hold the advantage against the Sacramento River Cats (78-67, 34-36), dropping the series opener 6-3 on Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park.

The Space Cowboys struck first in the opening frame off LHP Carson Whisenhunt (W, 3-5) when Brice Matthews legged out an infield single. Zach Dezenzo worked a walk, and Trey Cabbage blooped a single to left that the left fielder Hunter Bishop overran, giving Matthews a chance to score while Cabbage reached second thanks to the error. With runners on second and third, Jesús Bastidas drove in one more on a single to center field, putting the Space Cowboys up 2-0 in the top of the first.

Sugar Land’s lead did not last long, as in the bottom of the first, RHP Aaron Brown (L, 0-3) surrendered a lead-off home run to Wade Meckler to cut Sacramento’s deficit down to one. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for the River Cats, and a deep fly ball from Luis Matos let Thairo Estrada tag up and score the tying run. Brown recovered to get the next two River Cats on strikeouts to end the frame.

After the first, Brown retired the next nine batters, sending the game tied at two to the bottom of the fifth. The righty gave up a lead-off single to Bishop but got the next two outs with ease. Brown was a strike away from stranding the runner, but Estrada mashed a ball to the warning track that centerfielder Jacob Melton could not chase down, scoring Bishop for the go-ahead run and allowing Estrada to slide into second base. The RBI double ended Brown’s night after 4.2 innings, and RHP Logan VanWey took over and got Bryce Eldridge to strike out on a foul tip to end the fifth.

VanWey returned for the sixth and got the first two outs of the frame before the Space Cowboys turned to LHP Parker Mushinski to retire the lefty Trenton Brooks. Instead, Brooks worked a free base and Andrew Knapp doubled on a sharp liner to left field, scoring Brooks. The next pitch, Bishop grounded a ball near first baseman Dezenzo, but the ball slipped under Dezenzo’s glove to give Knapp the opportunity to race home, extending Sacramento’s lead to 5-2.

Sugar Land threatened in the seventh when Tommy Sacco Jr. was walked on four pitches with one out and the next batter, Miguel Palma, lined a base hit to center. With two on, LHP Kolton Ingram (H, 6) left the runners on base by getting the final two outs of the inning to hold Sacramento’s lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Meckler drew a walk on the first five pitches of the frame, and RHP Forrest Whitley came in for relief. Whitley got a groundout for the first out but issued back-to-back walks to load the bases. A wild pitch scored an insurance run for the River Cats but Whitley escaped the jam with a groundout and a strikeout.

After Palma’s single in the seventh, the River Cats pitching staff retired the next eight hitters in a row, bringing the Space Cowboys to their final out. Sacco earned a walk and scored on a single to left by Palma, his first Triple-A RBI, to keep the Space Cowboys rally alive. However, RHP Justin Garza got the final strikeout to end the game and give the River Cats a 6-3 win in the opening game of the series.

The Space Cowboys look to bounce back on Wednesday afternoon against the River Cats. Sugar Land’s RHP AJ Blubaugh (12-4, 3.99) will take the mound opposite of Sacramento’s RHP Carson Ragsdale (2-4, 5.15). 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.