Six Home Runs Help Sugar Land Slug Their Way To 12-11 Victory
Trailing 8-3 going to the seventh, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (32-38) hit four home runs in the final three frames to top the Salt Lake Bees (33-37) 12-11 on Tuesday night at Smith’s Ballpark. In the top of the seventh, David Hensley started the frame with a single and
Trailing 8-3 going to the seventh, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (32-38) hit four home runs in the final three frames to top the Salt Lake Bees (33-37) 12-11 on Tuesday night at Smith’s Ballpark.
In the top of the seventh, David Hensley started the frame with a single and Joe Perez singled the other way with one out to put two men on base. With two outs in the inning, Shay Whitcomb hit an opposite-field homer, his sixth in 13 games at Triple-A, pulling Sugar Land within a pair at 8-6.
After a scoreless bottom of the seventh from RHP Austin Hansen (W, 2-1), the Space Cowboys offense rallied in the eighth. Pedro León drew a lead-off walk and Korey Lee singled to right, his third hit of the night, putting men on the corners. RHP Reyes Moronta (L, 1-1) entered for the Bees and struck out the first batter he faced, but Hensley singled to right, plating León to make it a one-run contest. A wild pitch brought in the tying run and Justin Dirden laced an opposite-field homer to push Sugar Land ahead 10-8. Perez went back-to-back with Dirden, widening the Sugar Land lead to 11-8.
RHP Austin Hansen (W, 2-1) returned for a fourth inning of relief work in the bottom of the eighth. After a strikeout, Brett Phillips and David Fletcher both singled, bringing the tying run to the plate for the Bees. Hansen struck out Trey Cabbage for the second out, but a three-run homer by Jo Adell in the next at bat tied the game at 11-11.
With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Rylan Bannon connected for a two-out home run, vaulting the Space Cowboys back in front 12-11. RHP Joe Record (S, 10) came in for Sugar Land in the bottom of the ninth and pitched a 1-2-3 inning to pick up his league-leading 10th save.
Sugar Land took the lead early in the game on two separate occasions thanks to a pair of home runs from their catcher. Batting with one out in the second, Lee launched a solo shot to left, his fourth of the year, to put the Space Cowboys up 1-0. Salt Lake would rally for two in the bottom of the third, but Lee hit an opposite-field two-run homer in the fourth to give Sugar Land a 3-2 lead. The Bees responded with two in the bottom of the second and added on to their lead with three in the fifth and one in the sixth.
The Space Cowboys continue their six-game set with the Bess on Wednesday night. RHP Kyle McGowin (1-2, 6.74) is scheduled to start for Sugar Land while Salt Lake is set to send RHP Caron Fulmer (0-0, 0.00) 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.
*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.