Whitcomb's Go-Ahead Homer The Difference In Win Over Tacoma

Thanks to a record-breaking home run, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (74-40, 24-14) came back to beat the Tacoma Rainiers (65-50, 22-18) with a score of 6-5 on Tuesday afternoon at Cheney Stadium.

The Space Cowboys struck first in the top of the second when Jesús Bastidas led off the frame with a single through the right side. Quincy Hamilton worked a walk, and Dixon Machado bunted both runners to second and third. César Salazar took a slider from LHP Jhonathan Diaz and lined it over the infield for a base hit, sending two home to put Sugar Land up 2-0.

César gets us on the board first 💪 #SetTheCourse pic.twitter.com/QLCi2ig6iM

— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) August 13, 2024

LHP Colton Gordon (W, 6-1) faced the minimum through three innings before allowing his first hit of the day on a single from Ryan Bliss to begin the fourth. Gordon got the next two outs before Tyler Locklear sent an RBI double to center field, cutting Sugar Land’s advantage in half. Two pitches later, Jason Vosler smacked a two-run homer to right field, snatching the lead from the Space Cowboys and making it 3-2 Rainiers. Seby Zavala tacked on another for Tacoma with a long ball in the fifth.

With one out in the sixth, the Space Cowboys put two on base with a single from Grae Kessinger and a hit-by-pitch of Trey Cabbage. Bastidas sent Cabbage to second and scored Kessinger on a single just past the shortstop to bring Sugar Land within one. Just before a 2-1 pitch to Quincy Hamilton, Cabbage and Bastidas pulled off a double steal to second and third, and a throwing error allowed the two to each advance an extra base, with Cabbage scoring the tying run and Bastidas sliding in at third.

The game would not be knotted up for long, as Shay Whitcomb mashed his 25^th home run to right-center field 409 feet off LHP Kirby Snead (L, 3-3), a two-run shot to break the tie and give Whitcomb his single-season franchise-leading 91^st RBI on the season. Whitcomb had tied Corey Julks’ 2022 record of 89 RBI on August 6^th. The two-run bomb is Whitcomb’s ninth game-tying or go-ahead home run this season and his fifth in the seventh inning or later.

What’s better than 24?

2️⃣5️⃣!

Shay Whitcomb’s 25th home run gives him the single-season franchise record with 91 RBI in 2024! #SetTheCourse pic.twitter.com/FUfhm4sIFN

— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) August 13, 2024

Great relief performances from RHP Forrest Whitley (H, 6) and RHP Seth Martinez (H, 2) held it down for Sugar Land in the seventh and eighth inning. The Space Cowboys led 6-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth, and RHP Wander Suero (S, 28) came in to secure the win and snag his 28^th save of the season. The closer gave up a lead-off double to Vosler and two batters later a double from Nick Solak scored Vosler, making it a one-run game again. A hit-by-pitch and a walk loaded the bases for the Rainiers, but Suero recovered to get a strikeout and a fly out to end the game.

The Space Cowboys take on the Rainiers for the second game of the series on Wednesday night. Sugar Land’s RHP Janson Junk (0-1, 3.00) will take the mound opposite of Tacoma’s RHP Emerson Hancock (4-3, 3.86) for a 9:05 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.