Wild Pitch Walk Off Lifts Space Cowboys Past Rainiers 3-2

On Saturday night, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (9-5) and Tacoma Rainiers (6-8) added another chapter to their tightly contested series, as the game came down the final pitch in a dramatic 3-2 walk-off victory for Sugar Land.

With the score tied 2-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, Sugar Land quickly applied pressure. Jax Biggers led off the inning by working a walk, and Carlos Pérez followed with a single to put two runners aboard. After Biggers advanced to third on a stolen base, the Space Cowboys had runners on the corners with no outs and a prime opportunity to end it.

RHP Yosver Zulueta (L, 1-1) struck out the next two batters but uncorked a wild pitch with two outs that allowed Biggers to race home, sealing a walk-off win for Sugar Land.

The Rainiers broke through in the top of the third inning after loading the bases with two singles and a hit-by-pitch. Brock Rodden lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, bringing in the game’s first run and giving Tacoma a 1-0 lead.

Tacoma added to its advantage in the fourth. A walk and a line-drive single from Will Wilson set the table, and Rhylan Thomas delivered with a double that plated another run, extending the lead to 2-0.

Sugar Land responded in the fifth inning, capitalizing on an opportunity of their own. Two singles and an error loaded the bases before Jack Winkler was hit by a pitch, forcing in a run and cutting the deficit to 2-1.

The Space Cowboys continued to chip away in the seventh. Biggers and Pérez once again sparked the offense by reaching base, and after a deep line drive moved the runners into scoring position, CJ Alexander lifted a sacrifice fly to right field. Biggers tagged and scored on the play, evening the game at 2-2 and setting the stage for the late-inning drama.

Once again, Sugar Land received excellent pitching from their bullpen, as RHP Jose Fleury fired 2.1 innings, giving up just one run, before a combination of LHP Bennett Sousa, RHP Amos Willingham, RHP Roddery Muñoz and RHP Logan VanWey (W, 1-0) all turned in scoreless innings, giving up just one hit while striking out seven.

NOTABLE:

• LHP Bennett Sousa made his first appearance on Major League rehab with the Space Cowboys on Saturday, firing a scoreless inning. Sousa walked one and struck out two, throwing 14 pitches, nine for strikes. His fastball topped out at 94.9 mph and he generated two swings and misses on his slider.
• Jack Winkler is on a three-game RBI streak, the second longest active streak in the Pacific Coast League.
• Jax Biggers has stolen a base in three straight games which is tied for the longest active stolen base streak in Triple A.
• Collin Price who went 3-for-3 on Saturday night has now hit safely in four straight games for the Space Cowboys. In that four-game stretch, Price is 6-for-11 (.545) with two doubles and four walks.
• RHP Amos Willingham has not allowed through his first five outings, throwing 5.2 innings with just two walks and four strikeouts.

Sugar Land looks close the series against Tacoma on Sunday afternoon. RHP Jason Alexander is scheduled to start for the Space Cowboys against RHP Gabe Mosser for a 2:05 pm first pitch. The game can be heard online anywhere at SLSpaceCowboys.com/Listen.

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, winning their first Triple-A title in 2024 by clinching both the Pacific Coast League Championship and Triple-A National Championship. 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). Season ticket plans for the 2026 season are available now and can be purchased at slspacecowboys.com/tickets.