Joey Loperfido notched a multi-hit game in his fourth Major League appearance, but the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (23-34) fell 5-1 in their series finale against the Oklahoma City Comets (33-23) on Sunday afternoon at Constellation Field.
Both teams were locked in a pitcher's duel through the first three innings as RHP Brandon McPherson did not allow a hit through his first three frames of work, issuing just two walks. Oklahoma City broke through in the fourth when James Tibbs III collected the first hit of the day for the Comets, a solo homer to left, making it 1-0 OKC heading to the home half of the fourth.
Sugar Land answered in the bottom half of the inning. Shay Whitcomb worked a walk and Cavan Biggio followed with a single to put two runners aboard. Kellen Strahm then lined an RBI single into left field, scoring Whitcomb and evening the game at 1-1.
The Comets regained control in the sixth inning. Oklahoma City used a combination of free bases, hits and a home run to plate three runs in the frame, building a 4-1 advantage. Oklahoma City added an insurance run in the eighth inning, extending its lead to 5-1.
The Space Cowboys received strong work from their bullpen as RHP Cody Bolton fired a scoreless inning, allowing just one hit while striking out two and RHP JP France turned in a scoreless ninth. However, the final 12 Space Cowboys batters were retired in order as Sugar Land dropped their finale.
NOTABLE:
- Joey Loperfido went 2-for-3 on Sunday afternoon, recording his first multi-hit game with Sugar Land since June 14, 2024 against Oklahoma City.
- RHP Cody Bolton has now posted three consecutive scoreless appearances for the Space Cowboys.
- RHP Brandon McPherson worked a season-high 5.0 innings, tying his career high for innings pitched in a single outing. He surrendered three runs on three hits while walking three and striking out two. He fired a pair of fastballs at 99.2 mph, the two fastest pitches thrown by any non-Major League rehabber for Sugar Land this year.
After an off day Monday, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys travel to El Paso for a six-game series against the El Paso Chihuahuas. Neither club has announced a starting pitcher for Tuesday's series opener, with first pitch scheduled for 7:35 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.