HOW IT HAPPENED:
SS Keyber Rodriguez opened the scoring with a solo home run in the third inning to give Round Rock an early edge.
The Space Cowboys struck for two runs in the sixth to take their first lead of the game. DH Joey Loperfido started the inning with a walk and came around to score on LF Trenton Brooks’ double. RF Zach Cole followed with a double of his own, scoring Brooks and giving Sugar Land a 2-1 advantage.
Sugar Land added to their lead in the seventh with a pair of runs. 1B C.J. Alexander drove in two runs with a double, giving the Space Cowboys a 4-1 lead that they would not relinquish.
E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:
WHERE WE STAND: The Express drop their 2nd straight to the Space Cowboys as Sugar Land has taken control of the series… Round Rock is now -5.0 G behind 1st place SUG with 3 games left to play in the series… the E-Train have lost the last 2 home games after starting the month 3-0 at Dell Diamond and winning five straight at home… are 1-4 in the last 5 G and 5-5 in the last 10.
RHP JACK LEITER: (ND, 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 SO, 1 BB, 0 HR, 48 pitches, 32 strikes) made his 1st rehab appearance since being placed on the injured list on 6/21 with a right ankle posterior impingement… tonight’s start is his 19th in 20 appearances with Round Rock…threw 1st pitch strikes to 4 of the 10 batters faced… retired the side in the 1st and 2nd inning… went to his fastball 50% (24/48) of the outing… topped out at 98.4 mph… 2nd straight scoreless rehab appearance with the E-Train… last appeared with the Express on 4/22 vs LV on a rehab assignment and tossed 4.2 SHO innings, allowing 1 H while striking out 4… a member of the Opening Day roster for TEX, the right-hander has made 15 starts for the Rangers this season… owned a 3-7 record with a 5.29 ERA (47 ER/80.0 IP) on the year before suffering the injury… last appeared on 6/18 against MIN where he took the loss after tossing 4.0 IP and allowed 6 R-ER and 2 HR… that outing marked Leiter’s 50th with the Rangers, becoming the 50h pitcher in Rangers history to make 50 starts for the club.
INF KEYBER RODRIGUEZ: launched his 10th homer of the campaign with his solo shot in the 3rd… is T-1st (B.Crim, J. Bride) among Express hitters this season with 10 long-balls despite not joining Round Rock until 5/29 … ranks T-3rd among PCL shortstops in the category… 10 round-trippers in a season is a career-high… 1st home run this season against the sinker… just his 3rd home run at Dell Diamond… 7th home run with an exit velocity under 100.0 mph.
DH LOGAN O’HOPPE: extended his hitting streak to 8 G with a double in the 4th … is batting .344 (11-for-32) with a team high 6 2B, 8 RBI and 1.057 OPS.
RHP EMILIANO TEODO: (ND, 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 6 SO, 1 BB, 37 pitches, 22 strikes) recorded a season-high 6 SO on Thursday night… has not tallied 6 SO in a relief outing since 9/8/23 with High-A Hickory… 5th consecutive scoreless outing for the right-hander… owns a PCL high 67 SO on the season.
RHP JOE ROSS: (ND, 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R-ER, 1 SO, 1 BB, 33 pitches, 19 strikes) appeared in his 150th career game at the Minor League level… the 33-year-old rejoined the Express on 7/3 for his second stint of the season with the club… the right-hander has made 168 outings at the Major League level with 5 different clubs (WSH, MIL, PHI, AZ, TEX)… tonight’s game marked the 13th outing with Round Rock.
NEXT GAME: Friday, August 14 vs Sugar Land FIRST PITCH: 7:05 p.m. CT BALLPARK: Dell Diamond
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