Palma’s Walk-Off Homer Propels Sugar Land to Fourth-Straight Win

Published on August 28, 2025 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release

SUGAR LAND, TX – Down to their final out, Miguel Palma cracked a walk-off two-run homer to lift the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (24-27, 63-63) a 9-8 win in a back-and-forth affair against the Albuquerque Isotopes (21-33, 52-76) on Thursday night at Constellation Field. Thursday was Sugar Land’s sixth walk-off win of the season and first since August 2 against the Tacoma Rainiers. Palma’s home run was his first at the Triple-A level this season. According to Baseball Savant, the Space Cowboys had a 4.4%-win probability with two outs in the ninth.

Trailing 7-5 heading into the home half of the eighth, Zack Short walked to begin the home frame, Brice Matthews kept the inning alive with a base on balls and Short came around to score on a two-out RBI single from Colin Barber to pull Sugar Land within a run, 7-6. In the ensuing at-bat, Kenedy Corona pulled a two-strike RBI single to left, knotting the game up at seven.

The Isotopes scored a run in the top of the ninth to take an 8-7 lead, but the Space Cowboys would not be denied in the home half of the inning. Edwin Díaz was hit by a pitch with two outs before Palma punished a 1-1 fastball and drove a two-run homer 394 feet to left as Sugar Land walked off Albuquerque, 9-8.

In the bottom of the first, Shay Whitcomb jump started Sugar Land’s offense. Zach Dezenzo legged out a one-out infield single, Taylor Trammell drew a walk and Whitcomb walloped a three-run homer to left as the Space Cowboys pushed out to an early 3-0 lead.

Albuquerque tied the game in the second with a three-run homer from Owen Miller. RHP Jose Fleury responded in the third by stranding a runner on third with an inning-ending strikeout before facing the minimum in the top of the fourth.

Sugar Land regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth, 4-3, on a lead-off homer from Zach Cole that traveled 410 feet for Cole’s second home run in three games at Triple A. The Space Cowboys then extended their advantage in the bottom of the fifth. Whitcomb took a one-out walk, and in the ensuing at-bat, Whitcomb scored on a 402-foot double from Jon Singleton as Sugar Land went up, 5-3.

After Fleury fired his third-straight scoreless inning in the top of the fifth, RHP Jayden Murray (H,7) entered in the sixth and tossed a clean frame on 10 pitches with eight strikes. RHP Logan VanWey (H,6) came in for the seventh and posted a perfect inning on four…