Even with a pair of strong outings on the mound, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (17-20) dropped game four of their six-game series against the Albuquerque Isotopes (22-15) 2-1 on Friday night at Constellation Field.
Both teams were locked in a scoreless battle through the first five innings. Albuquerque finally broke through in the top of the sixth after an infield single and a double put two runners in scoring position before a groundout brought home the game’s first run, giving the Isotopes a 1-0 lead.
Sugar Land’s pitching staff turned in a strong performance, holding Albuquerque to just six hits on the night. RHP Ethan Pecko got the start and tossed 3.2 scoreless innings while allowing two hits and striking out five batters. LHP Josh Hendrickson followed with 4.1 innings of relief, allowing four hits, two runs, and striking out four.
The Isotopes added an insurance run in the ninth on a solo home run, extending the lead to 2-0.
The Space Cowboys showed life in the bottom of the ninth when James Nelson launched a solo home run to put Sugar Land on the board. However, the comeback effort fell short as the Space Cowboys dropped their fourth straight game to Albuquerque.
NOTABLE:
- The Sugar Land Space Cowboys won their first-ever check-swing challenge on Friday night, marking just the fifth check-swing challenge in the Pacific Coast League this season.
- RHP Ethan Pecko turned in 3.2 scoreless innings on Friday night, allowing just two hits while striking out five. Pecko generated 11 swinging strikes on 39 total strikes, good for an impressive 38% whiff rate.
- RHP Alimber Santa made his 14th appearance of the season on Friday night, moving into a tie for third-most appearances in the Pacific Coast League.
- James Nelson went 2-for-4 with a home run on Friday night, extending his on-base streak to 18 games, the 10th-longest active streak in the Pacific Coast League.
Sugar Land continues its series against Albuquerque on Saturday night as RHP Brandon Bielak takes the mound for the Space Cowboys against Isotopes LHP Carson Palmquist. First pitch from Constellation Field is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT. 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.