A walk-off single from Ryan Ward handed the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (7-3, 39-45) a 4-3 loss to the Oklahoma City Comets (5-5, 46-38) on Friday night in game four of their six-game set at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
Oklahoma City opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning after both teams were held scoreless through the first three frames. Zach Edgard and Jack Suwinski connected on solo home runs before the Comets added another run later in the inning on a single and a double, extending their lead to 3-0.
Sugar Land got on the board in the sixth inning. César Salazar and Cavan Biggio collected back-to-back singles before executing a double steal to move both runners into scoring position. Pascanel Ferreras then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing home Salazar and cutting the deficit to 3-1.
The Space Cowboys bullpen kept Sugar Land within striking distance over the middle innings. RHP Trey McLoughlin tossed 2.1 scoreless innings while allowing one hit and striking out two. RHP Michael Knorr followed with a perfect inning, striking out two while retiring the side on 16 pitches. RHP Alimber Santa then worked a perfect eighth inning, needing just 11 pitches while striking out two.
Sugar Land mounted its comeback in the ninth inning. Biggio and Ferreras were both hit by pitches to begin the frame before LaMonte Wade Jr. reached on a fielder's choice. A throwing error by RHP Wyatt Mills on the play allowed Biggio to score, trimming the deficit to 3-2. Zach Dezenzo followed with a walk before Lucas Spence lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Ferreras to tie the game at 3-3.
After the Space Cowboys bullpen delivered 10 straight scoreless innings in relief dating back to the sixth inning on Wednesday (6/3), Oklahoma City scored in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Comets put two runners on before Ryan Ward lined a walk-off single, evening the series at two games apiece.
NOTABLE:
- Pascanel Ferreras drove in a run with a sacrifice fly on Friday night, giving him an RBI in all three games he has played this week at Oklahoma City. Ferreras has totaled five RBI during the series, tied for the fourth-most in the Pacific Coast League this week. His three-game RBI streak is currently tied for the third-longest active streak in the league.
- RHP Trey McLoughlin tied his season high in innings pitched on Friday night, firing 2.1 scoreless innings while allowing one hit and striking out two. The last time McLoughlin worked 2.1 innings came on June 26 against the El Paso Chihuahuas. Friday's outing marked his fourth-consecutive scoreless appearance.
- RHP Michael Knorr tossed a perfect inning and struck out two on just 16 pitches, including 11 strikes. Knorr also recorded the two hardest pitches of the game, topping out at 97.8 mph.
- The Sugar Land bullpen has allowed just one run over its last 10.2 innings pitched. This week, the Space Cowboys relief corps owns a 1.65 ERA, the second-lowest mark in the PCL, trailing only the Reno Aces (0.65 ERA).
Sugar Land will aim to move ahead in its six-game set with Oklahoma City on Saturday as the series continues at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. LHP Colton Gordon is scheduled to start for Sugar Land, while Oklahoma City will counter with RHP Ryder Ryan. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm CT. The game can be seen on the Bally Sports Live app and MiLB.TV and 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.