Sugar Land Uses Long Ball To Clinch First Pacific Coast League Title
In a game that they led from the first inning, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (2-0) defeated the Reno Aces (0-2) 5-2 to clinch their first Pacific Coast League Championship on Wednesday night at Constellation Field.
In a game that they led from the first inning, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (2-0) defeated the Reno Aces (0-2) 5-2 to clinch their first Pacific Coast League Championship on Wednesday night at Constellation Field.
All systems GO for the @SLSpaceCowboys!
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 26, 2024
The @astros' affiliate polishes off a sweep to claim its first Pacific Coast League championship! pic.twitter.com/cqenk8aQdK
To open up Game Two of the PCL Championship Series, Sugar Land starter RHP Miguel Ullola issued a lead-off walk to Albert Almora. Ullola got a strikeout of the next batter, but Almora stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw from Omar Narváez. A walk and a stolen base from Jordan Lawlar put two men in scoring position with one out, but Ullola recovered to get a strikeout and a popout to escape the first.
RHP Humberto Castellanos (L, 0-1) took the mound for the Aces in the bottom of the first and hit Jesús Bastidas on the first pitch the righty threw. Three pitches later, Pedro León annihilated a sinker for a two-run bomb soaring 409 feet out of the ballpark, putting the Space Cowboys on the board first.
OH MY PEDRO?!?!?!?! 😱 #SetTheCourse pic.twitter.com/1sP6GxgrgV
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) September 26, 2024
It was not long before the Space Cowboys tacked onto their lead with two outs in the third on a solo home run from Trey Cabbage. The next batter, Cooper Hummel, blasted one of his own over the right-center field wall to go back-to-back with Cabbage, extending Sugar Land’s advantage to 4-0.
CABBAGE-MANIA IN FULL FORCE 🥬 #SetTheCourse pic.twitter.com/OUUQ9rr0oN
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) September 26, 2024
Ullola’s night ended after 4.0 shutout innings, allowing just two hits with two walks and five punchouts. RHP Ray Gaither (W, 1-0) took the ball from Ullola and spun a clean top of the fifth. After the Space Cowboys missed a bases-loaded-no-outs opportunity to send the game to the sixth, Gaither returned to the mound and surrendered a solo home run to Adrian Del Castillo that carried over the fence in right-center to put up the first run of the game for Reno. Sugar Land turned to RHP Seth Martinez (H,1) to finish the frame and the righty got the first out, but gave up a walk and a pair of soft singles to drive in another run, cutting the Space Cowboys’ lead in half at 4-2. With that, RHP Logan VanWey (H, 2) took over with one out and got two groundouts to limit the Reno damage to two.
RHP Forrest Whitley (H,1) spun a clean seventh that included an inning-ending strikeout, sending it to the bottom half of the frame. A throwing error and a single put runners on the corners for the Space Cowboys. Cabbage sliced a fly ball to left field that the Jorge Barrosa chased down for the out, but León tagged up at third and scored an insurance run to make it 5-2 Sugar Land.
RHP Luis Contreras (H,1) worked around a lead-off single in the top of the eighth, and the Pacific Coast League saves leader RHP Wander Suero (S, 1) came in to secure the Championship in the top of the ninth. Suero needed just 10 pitches to lock the 5-2 win down, getting two groundouts and a flyout to clinch the Space Cowboys first Pacific Coast League title.
With tonight’s win, Sugar Land heads to the Triple-A Championship Game at Las Vegas Ballpark against the winner of the International League on Saturday night. Starters are TBA for a 9:09 pm CT first pitch. The game can be heard on ESPN 92.5 FM or online here and seen on MLB Network.
ABOUT THE SUGAR LAND SPACE COWBOYS:
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros and the reigning Pacific Coast League Champions. They compete in the Pacific Coast League and have played as the Astros Triple-A affiliate since 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.