Justin Dirden Named PCL Player of the Week
Sugar Land Space Cowboys outfielder Justin Dirden has been named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week as announced by Minor League Baseball on Monday. During the week, Dirden slashed .500/.519/1.192/1.711 in five games with four doubles, a triple, four home runs, 15 RBI and seven runs scored. He
Sugar Land Space Cowboys outfielder Justin Dirden has been named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week as announced by Minor League Baseball on Monday.
During the week, Dirden slashed .500/.519/1.192/1.711 in five games with four doubles, a triple, four home runs, 15 RBI and seven runs scored. He led the Pacific Coast League in RBI, OPS, extra-base hits (9) and total bases (31), while tying for the league lead in home runs. His .500 batting average was the second best in the league for the week, trailing only Space Cowboys infielder Grae Kessinger (.519) and he also recorded the second-best slugging percentage in the Pacific Coast League. Dirden also tied with teammate JJ Matijevic for the second most hits in the league for the week with 13, trailing Kessinger and Space Cowboys outfielder Bligh Madris, who each had 14 hits during the week.
In addition to leading the Pacific Coast League, Dirden led all players in Minor League Baseball in RBI and was tied for the lead in home runs, total bases and extra-base hits while ranking third in slugging, fourth in OPS and tied for fifth in hits.
The former Southeast Missouri State Redhawk turned in his first big performance of the week on Thursday afternoon against Albuquerque. Dirden doubled each of his first two times up before hitting a grand slam in the seventh and added on another double in the ninth. His three doubles tied the Space Cowboys single-game record for doubles in a contest.
FIRST GRAND SALAMI OF THE SEASON GOES TO....
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) May 4, 2023
π£οΈπ πππππ πΏπππΏππ π£οΈ pic.twitter.com/yN0sJfZXsO
Dirden provided another dramatic home run on Friday night, launching a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning to complete a seven-run frame that propelled the Space Cowboys to a 9-8 comeback win against the Isotopes. He followed it up by coming a double shy of the cycle on Saturday evening, hitting a game-tying two-run homer in the seventh before supplying a go-ahead triple in the eighth inning. In the series finale on Sunday, Dirden homered for a fourth consecutive day, hitting a solo blast in the fourth as part of a four-hit effort in which he came a triple shy of the cycle, helping Sugar Land to a 24-8 win against Albuquerque.
π¨JUSTIN DIRDEN SECOND DAY GRAND SLAM!!!! π¨
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) May 6, 2023
AND THIS ONE IF FOR THE LEAD!!!
YES WE ARE SCREAMING! #ReadyToRide pic.twitter.com/4cyFtUGbIA
This is the second Player of the Week honor for Dirden, who was recognized as the Texas League Player of the Week with the Corpus Christi Hooks for the week of July 25 to 31, 2022. He also named the Texas League Player of the Month for July of 2022 and selected as a Texas League Postseason All-Star. The 25-year-old was signed by the Astros in June of 2020.
Following an off day on Monday, the Space Cowboys return to Constellation Field to begin a six-game series against the El Paso Chihuahuas. RHP Ronel Blanco is scheduled to start for the Space Cowboys for a 6:05 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.