Blanco Brilliant Again As Space Cowboys Blank River Cats In Final Road Game
In their final road game of 2023, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (56-88, 23-46) turned in their second shutout of the year, blanking the Sacramento River Cats (65-78, 31-38) 7-0 on Sunday afternoon at Sutter Health Park. Sugar Land used the long ball to open up an early lead. Rylan
In their final road game of 2023, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (56-88, 23-46) turned in their second shutout of the year, blanking the Sacramento River Cats (65-78, 31-38) 7-0 on Sunday afternoon at Sutter Health Park.
Sugar Land used the long ball to open up an early lead. Rylan Bannon singled to right and Joey Loperfido followed with a two-run blast to right, his fourth with Sugar Land and 23rd of the year, making it a 2-0 Space Cowboys lead.
RHP Ronel Blanco (W, 6-4) took the mound for the second time in the series and gave up his only hit of the day to Wade Meckler to begin the bottom of the first. Blanco mowed down the next five hitters in a row and stranded a pair of two-out walks in the second with a strikeout of Bryce Johnson.
Bligh Madris walked to start the third for Sugar Land, and after a pair of strikeouts from RHP Tristan Beck (L, 3-3), Shay Whitcomb launched a two-run homer to left center, doubling the Sugar Land lead to 4-0. The home run was the 35th overall of the season for Whitcomb between Double-A and Triple-A, giving him the most home runs among all Minor League players in 2023. The pair of RBI also gave Whitcomb 101 RBI, and he becomes the seventh Astros’ Minor Leaguer since 2014 to eclipse the century mark in RBI and one of just seven Minor League players this season with 100 RBI or more.
Blanco took the extra run support and shut down the Sacramento offense, retiring 10 of the final 11 batters he faced including the last eight in a row, throwing a 1-2-3 fourth and fifth inning. Across the week, Blanco made two starts and threw 11.0 scoreless innings, surrendering just three hits while striking out 17.
Dixon Machado launched a solo home run to lead off the fifth, his seventh of the year, pushing the Space Cowboys lead to 5-0 and extending Machado’s on-base streak to 20 games. RHP Jimmy Endersby issued just a walk in a scoreless sixth and RHP Joe Record got out of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout in a scoreless seventh to preserve the shutout.
In the top of the eighth, Marty Costes doubled to center and Bannon followed with a walk, bringing up Loperfido, who singled to right to bring in another run. The single was the third hit of the day for Loperfido, who finished a triple shy of the cycle. Two more walks forced in a run to give Sugar Land their 7-0 lead.
RHP Seth Martinez walked a batter with one in the eighth but struck out a pair to throw a shutout inning. RHP Enoli Paredes was brought in for the ninth and gave up a lead-off double and a walk, but struck out Johnson and got a double play to end the game and secure the shutout.
Following an off day on Monday, the Space Cowboy return to Constellation Field for their final series of the 2023 season, starting a six-game series versus the El Paso Chihuahuas on Tuesday night. Neither team has named a starter for a 6:35 pm CT 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.