Express Battle Back for 9-6 Victory Over Space Cowboys

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (79-70) came back from deficits of 4-0 and 6-4 to beat the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (72-75) on Tuesday night at Dell Diamond by a final score of 9-6.

Express reliever RHP Daniel Robert (4-4, 6.28) tossed one scoreless inning out of the bullpen with a walk and a strikeout en route to the win. Space Cowboys reliever RHP Ronel Blanco (4-7, 3.63) earned a blown-save loss after his 1.2-inning performance saw three runs on one hit, two walks and three strikeouts. Round Rock RHP Chase Lee came on for a scoreless ninth inning that included one walk and one strikeout for his second save of the year.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Sugar Land plated the first two runs of the night in the second inning. 1B J.J. Matijevic doubled and stole third base to start the inning. He quickly scored on a single from RF Joe Perez and the Space Cowboys led 1-0. The inning continued as 2B Alex De Goti walked and SS Edwin Diaz singled to load the bases. A walk for CF Pedro Leon scored Perez and gave the visitors a 2-0 advantage.
• The Space Cowboys grabbed two more runs in the third inning. Matijevic walked and Perez singled before a triple from De Goti scored two and increased the lead to 4-0.
• Round Rock cut Sugar Land’s lead in half with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. 1B Nick Tanielu ripped a triple into right center field. As Tanielu slid into third base, the throw got away and Tanielu came home to score. The Express offense built off the momentum and CF Elier Hernandez doubled with one out. DH Blaine Crim singled to score Hernandez and the E-Train trailed 4-2.
• The Express tied the game at four in the fourth inning. A two-out rally started when 2B Diosbel Arias walked and 1B Nick Tanielu singled. Whatley loaded the bases with an infield single and Hernandez singled through the right side to score two runs and tie the game at four.
• Sugar Land took back the lead with a two-out rally of their own in the sixth inning. DH Jake Meyers and LF Corey Julks singled as Matijevic doubled to score them both and put the Space Cowboys ahead at 6-4.
• Round Rock didn’t go quietly in the eighth as RF Josh Sale and LF Sandro Fabian each walked. After Arias grounded out to advance both runners, Tanielu singled to score the two and tie the game at six. A two-out single for C Matt Whatley was followed up by a booming double from Hernandez to score two more and bring the Round Rock lead to 8-6. 3B Ezequiel Duran then scored Hernandez on a single and the E-Train led 9-6. RHP Chase Lee earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

E-Train Excerpts:

• In the second inning, RHP Cole Winn set the single-season strikeouts record by collecting his 119th of the year. RHP Jason Hirsh set the previous record with 118 strikeouts in 2006. Winn finished the night with seven strikeouts and ends the year with 123.
• CF Elier Hernandez led the way with a 3-for-4 night including two doubles, four RBI, two runs scored and a walk. In September, Hernandez is hitting .313 (26-for-83) with eight doubles, one triple, two home runs, 16 RBI and 12 runs scored. It was the fourth time this season Hernandez has had four RBI in a game and the first time since August 27 at Albuquerque.
• When falling behind 0-2 in the count on Tuesday night, Round Rock went 4-for-5, was hit by a pitch and struck out just once.

Next up: Round Rock and Sugar Land will play the final game of the 2022 season on Wednesday afternoon at Dell Diamond. Texas Rangers rehabber RHP Spencer Howard (3-5, 4.17) is slated to start up against Space Cowboys RHP Brandon Bielak (3-6, 3.26) with first pitch scheduled for 12:05 p.m.