Space Cowboys Left Scoreless In Friday Night Loss

For just the third time this season, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (85-50, 36-24) were shutout, falling to the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (71-65, 31-30) 1-0 on Friday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

After a pair of Oklahoma City baserunners reached in the bottom of the second on a single and a walk, RHP Aaron Brown (L, 0-2) induced a groundball to first base from Alex Freeland, but a two-base fielding error put up the first run of the night as Sugar Land trailed 1-0. Brown recovered to get a strikeout, a fielder’s choice where Jesús Bastidas threw out a runner at home and a flyout to strand two men on base.

Despite the unearned run in the second inning, Brown was exceptional, hurling 5.0 frames while walking two and striking out three, retiring 10 of the final 11 hitters he faced and the last seven in a row. RHP Glenn Otto came in for the sixth and after three pitches, he left the game with an apparent injury, resulting in RHP Seth Martinez relieving Otto to complete the inning. The veteran righty walked two with one out, but left the runners stranded after a strikeout and a groundout. RHP Rafael Montero induced three groundouts in a quick seventh inning, while RHP Luis Contreras spun a scoreless eighth that included a great diving snag from Kenedy Corona in centerfield.

The Oklahoma City pitching staff, led by a six-inning, three-hit showing from LHP Alec Gamboa (W, 3-6), shut down the Sugar Land offense on Friday night. Sugar Land did have a chance to score the tying run in the sixth when Grae Kessinger doubled to the gap with one out and moved to third on a wild pitch after a strikeout. Pedro León worked a walk and stole second, putting the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second for Jacob Melton. The left fielder worked an eight-pitch at bat against Gamboa, and smashed a 105.7 grounder to third, but hit it right at Kody Hoese for the final out of the inning.

Facing Major League rehabber Brusdar Graterol (H, 1) in the eighth, Corona started the frame with a single and moved to second on a one-out walk by Cooper Hummel. León grounded out but advanced the runner to second and third with two outs. However, Graterol got a groundout to once again leave the tying run at third.

In their last chance to score in the top of the ninth, the Space Cowboys got a one-out baserunner in scoring position when Quincy Hamilton doubled into the left-center gap. However, RHP Jack Little (S, 1) earned his first save for Oklahoma City by getting a couple of flyouts to end the game.

The Space Cowboys look to bounce back against Oklahoma City on Saturday night. Sugar Land’s RHP AJ Blubaugh (11-3, 3.82) will take the mound against Oklahoma City’s RHP Ben Casparius (4-3, 3.30) for a 6:05 pm first pitch. 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.