Urquidy, McCormick Make Rehab Starts in 7-4 Sugar Land Loss
The stars were out in Sugar Land for the Space Cowboys (25-14), but they could not shut down the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (23-16) as they dropped the final game of the series 7-4 at Constellation Field Sunday afternoon. Houston Astros RHP José Urquidy (L, 0-1) took the mound on
The stars were out in Sugar Land for the Space Cowboys (25-14), but they could not shut down the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (23-16) as they dropped the final game of the series 7-4 at Constellation Field Sunday afternoon.
Houston Astros RHP José Urquidy (L, 0-1) took the mound on Major League rehab against Oklahoma City and retired the first three batters he saw, including a pair of strikeouts. In the second inning, Urquidy allowed a lead-off home run to Andre Lipcius but recovered to send down the next three in order. Urquidy was taken out with two gone in the third inning after giving up a two-out walk and two hits that put Oklahoma City ahead 3-1. The Astros righty went 2.2 innings, giving up three hits and three earned runs while throwing 46 pitches with 28 strikes. He struck out three batters and walked one.
hey @astros pic.twitter.com/LCtx30Xrhp
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) May 12, 2024
The Space Cowboys jumped out to a lead in the first when Jesús Bastidas singled on the first pitch he saw from RHP Landon Knack (W, 2-1) and stole second base. Knack struck out the next two hitters but walked Cooper Hummel to put two men on for César Salazar, who ripped a single to right, scoring Bastidas to make it 1-0 Space Cowboys.
RHP Ryan Gusto came on in relief for Sugar Land and pitched a clean fourth and fifth inning before loading the bases up in the sixth for Oklahoma City’s Miguel Vargas, who took a changeup from Gusto and sent it over the left-field wall for a grand slam, extending Oklahoma City’s lead to 7-1.
In the bottom of the sixth, David Hensley got the Space Cowboys right back in it, knocking an opposite-field three-run home run after Will Wagner singled and Hummel walked to bring the Sugar Land deficit to 7-4. Hummel’s two walks on the day extended his on-base streak to 15 games. The Space Cowboys threatened in both the eighth and ninth innings, putting two on in both frames including a double from Chas McCormick in the ninth, but LHP Matt Gage (H, 2) and RHP Michael Petersen (S, 3) held on to get the final outs and gave Oklahoma City the win in the final game of the series.
Right back in it. 🤜🤛 pic.twitter.com/IQJ37K0BlE
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) May 12, 2024
The Space Cowboys travel to Albuquerque to begin a six-game series against the Albuquerque Isotopes on Tuesday night. Both teams’ starters are TBA for a 7:35 pm CT 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.