Rainiers Suffer 3-2 Loss to Space Cowboys in 12 Innings

SUGAR LAND, TX (April 9, 2026) — It was another pitcher’s duel in Sugar Land on Thursday night, as the Tacoma Rainiers (6-6) fell 3-2 to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (7-5) in 12 innings. Tacoma’s bullpen combined to throw 8.2 innings without allowing an earned run in the defeat. Both teams were kept off the board from the third inning until the game-winning run was scored in the bottom of the 12th.

Sugar Land jumped out to an early lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Jax Biggers singled to lead off the inning and stole second base. Two batters later, Jack Winkler (1) hit a two-run home run to left field to give the Space Cowboys a 2-0 lead. CJ Alexander and Collin Price followed with back-to-back doubles to put runners and second and third, but Rainiers starting pitcher Dane Dunning was able to strand them by getting a pair of fly outs to left field to get out of the inning.

The Rainiers came back with two runs of their own in the top of the second inning. Sugar Land starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti hit Brennen Davis with the first pitch of the inning. After Victor Labrada popped out, Brock Rodden was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second base. Carson Taylor got Tacoma on the board with a single to center field to score Davis and trim the deficit to 2-1. After Rodden moved up to third on the Taylor single, Jakson Reetz hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in Tacoma’s second run and tie the game at two. Rhylan Thomas singled and stole second base, but was stranded as Arrighetti struck out Ryan Bliss for the final out of the frame.

The pitching took over for both sides after the top of the second inning, as Arrighetti went on to retire 13 of the final 14 hitters he faced over 6.0 innings of work. The lone baserunner he allowed in that stretch was a one-out single from Rodden in the top of the fourth inning.

Tacoma’s bullpen stood up to the task, keeping Sugar Land off the board as Dane Dunning was lifted after 3.0 innings of work. Brendan White fired a perfect fourth inning, Gunner Mayer put up a zero in the fifth inning, Josh Simpson threw 1.2 of scoreless baseball and Blas Castaño kept it moving with 1.1 perfect innings to keep it a 2-2 game after eight innings.

Sugar Land threatened in the bottom of the ninth inning as Houston Roth took over in relief. With one out, Price drew a walk and Riley Unroe drew another with two outs to move the potential winning run into scoring position. Roth struck out the pinch-hitting Carlos Pérez to strand the runners on base.

In the top of the 10th inning, Rodden was the placed runner at second base. Taylor drew a walk to lead off the inning. Ball four of Taylor’s walk escaped the catcher, Price, allowing Rodden to advance to third on the wild pitch, putting runners on the corners. Sugar Land pitcher Anthony Maldonado worked a pair of pop outs and struck out Bliss to keep Tacoma off the board.

Tacoma’s strong relief continued in extra innings, as Roth threw 2.2 hitless innings, working around three walks while striking out four. He sat down the side in order in the 10th and was lifted with two outs in the 11th inning for Alex Hoppe. Hoppe stranded a pair of runners on base thanks to a groundout from César Salazar.

In the bottom of the 12th, Salazar started the inning at second base. After Hoppe struck out Unroe for the first out of the inning, James Nelson hit a single through the right side of the infield, but Brennen Davis fired a strike to home plate, cutting down Salazar to keep the game tied at two. The next batter, Kellen Strahm, hit a ball to right field that got by Davis, scoring Nelson to win the game for Sugar Land, 3-2 in 12 innings.

The series in Sugar Land continues on Friday, April 10, with a 5:05 pm first pitch from Constellation Field. RHP Casey Lawrence is scheduled to get the start for the Rainiers.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• Tacoma relievers combined for 8.2 innings of relief on Thursday without allowing an earned run…the 8.2 innings are the most for the Tacoma bullpen in a game without allowing an earned run since throwing 9.0 innings without an earned run on July 19, 2014 in an 8-7 loss in 14 innings against Colorado Springs.
• The Rainiers played extra innings for the second time this season, dropping to 0-2 in extra-inning games…it’s the first time Tacoma has played 12 innings since May 16, 2025 at Albuquerque…the Rainiers went 6-6 in extra-inning games in 2025.
• RHP Houston Roth threw 2.2 hitless innings of relief on Thursday, extending a streak of 7.1 hitless innings to open the season, the most innings thrown by a minor league pitcher without a hit allowed this season.
• INF Colt Emerson collected a pair of hits on Thursday night, going 2-for-5 with a double…Emerson has tallied a hit in eight of the 10 games he’s played in.
• OF Rhylan Thomas went 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base…Thomas has reached base in 11 of Tacoma’s 12 games…Thomas’ single in the second inning was his 14th hit of the season, tied for the seventh-most hits in the PCL.