June 24, 2023 – Pacific Coast League (PCL) – Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Outfielder Pedro León hit for the cycle and the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (33-41) bats pounded out 23 hits as part of a 21-6 win over the Salt Lake Bees (36-37) on Saturday night at Smith’s Ballpark. It is the first cycle in the history of the Space Cowboys and the first for León’s in his career. Highlight’s from tonight’s game can be found here.
The Space Cowboys offense got started in the top of the second when they loaded the bases on two walks and a single. After hitting into a double play that cut down a run at the plate, a wild pitch from RHP Luis Ledo (L, 2-1) scored the first run of the game for the Space Cowboys. Joe Perez then singled to drive in a run and two batters later JJ Matijevic ripped a single to right to make it 3-0 Sugar Land.
León picked up his first hit of the night in the third inning. Quincy Hamilton started the inning with a lead-off single and scored on a double to the gap by Jon Singleton. Rylan Bannon followed with a walk and León launched a three-run homer to left, his 11th of the year, vaulting the Space Cowboys to a 7-0 lead.
On the mound for Sugar Land, RHP Brandon Bielak (W, 1-1) retired the first six batters that he faced and allowed his only earned run of the night on a two-out single in the third. An unearned run scored to Bielak’s ledger in the fifth on a walk, a single and a throwing error followed by a double steal. The righty returned for the sixth inning and retired the side in order, turning in a quality outing in which he gave up just two runs, one earned, on five hits and struck out five.
In the top of the fifth, León nearly hit his second home run of the night but instead tripled off the top of the left-field wall. A sacrifice fly from César Salazar pushed the Space Cowboys lead back to 8-1. León collected his double in the top of the seventh when he tucked a two-bagger inside of third to plate Bannon, and a Perez double sent home León for the fourth time on the night, widening the Sugar Land lead to 10-2.
The Space Cowboys put the game out of reach in the top of the eighth inning. Shay Whitcomb hit a lead-off home run to begin the stanza, his eighth in 17 games at Triple-A and 20th overall of the year, tied for the second most in Minor League Baseball. Hamilton walked which brought up Singleton, who laced a two-run homer over the right-field fence, his first in the Astros’ organization since September 3, 2017. Bannon then doubled, putting a man on base for León, who launched a ball off the left-field wall for a single, completing the cycle. Salazar knocked a double to plate both runs and Matijevic double in two more of his own three hitters later, pushing the Sugar Land to a 17-2 lead.
Singles by Berryhill, Matijevic and Whitcomb drove in four more in the top of the ninth inning, including a sixth run of the night scored by León, the most runs scored in a single game in Space Cowboys’ franchise history.
RHP Misael Tamarez (S, 2) hurled a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh but gave up four runs in the last of the eighth after the extended time in the dugout while the Space Cowboys sent 11 men to the dish in the top of the eighth. The righty retired the side in order in the ninth to collect his second save of the year.
Needing a win to split the series, Sugar Land concludes their six-game set with the Bees on Sunday afternoon. RHP Jairo Solis (1-1, 6.89) is scheduled to start the finale while Salt Lake is set to send LHP Kenny Rosenberg (4-4, 4.20) to the hill for a 2:05 pm CT first pitch. The game can be heard on ESPN 92.5 FM or online here and seen on MiLB.TV.
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