Pecko Ties Career High With Nine Punchouts In Tight 2-0 Defeat

Mancini Makes Triple-A Debut with 3.0 Shutout Innings

By Garrett Greene/Space Cowboys

September 12, 2025

On a night where RHP Ethan Pecko tied a career with nine strikeouts, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (31-34, 70-70) were shutout in a 2-0 defeat to the Round Rock Express (38-28, 72-69) on Friday night at Dell Diamond. Sugar Land collected their first knock of the night in the

On a night where RHP Ethan Pecko tied a career with nine strikeouts, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (31-34, 70-70) were shutout in a 2-0 defeat to the Round Rock Express (38-28, 72-69) on Friday night at Dell Diamond.

Sugar Land collected their first knock of the night in the first inning on a base hit by Brice Matthews. However, it was the only baserunner allowed by RHP Tyler Mahle over 4.0 shutout innings from the righty on Major League rehab.

For his part, Pecko (L, 1-3) worked around a pair of one-out base runners in the first with a strikeout and a lineout. Round Rock struck for their only runs off the righty in the second when Richie Martin and Aaron Zavala picked up two infield singles to begin the frame. Pecko struck out the next two batters and got to a two-strike count against Billy McKinney, but McKinney knocked a triple to the left-field gap, plating two runs to put Round Rock ahead 2-0. After the run-scoring triple, Pecko retired 10 of the final 12 batters he faced, including the last nine in a row.

Miguel Palma laced a lead-off double to left off LHP Michael Plassmeyer (W, 9-3) in the top of the fifth but was left stranded as the next three hitters went in order. Pedro León was hit by a pitch with one out in the sixth and Shay Whitcomb followed with a single, but Sugar Land was turned away again on a foul out and a strikeout.

After Pecko departed following 5.0 innings of work, RHP Joey Mancini entered in the sixth for his Triple-A debut. Mancini navigated around a two-out walk to throw a scoreless sixth, and left the bases loaded in the seventh before spinning a 1-2-3 eighth as part of 3.0 shutout frames out of the bullpen.

The Space Cowboys final scoring chance of the game came in the eighth inning. Kenedy Corona laced a single to center to begin the stanza and León followed with a single up the middle, putting two on and chasing Plassmeyer. RHP Jose Ruiz (S, 5) walked Whitcomb to load up the bases with no outs, but retired the next six in order to secure a six-out save.

NOTABLE:

Ethan Pecko tied a career high with nine strikeouts on Friday night. It’s the third time in his career that he has struck out nine in a game and his first since June 2, 2024 with Single-A Fayetteville against Augusta. Over his last five starts, Pecko is 1-2 but sports a 1.88 ERA, giving up just five runs in 24.0 innings with eight walks and 31 strikeouts. Since August 19, Pecko’s 31 punchouts are the most in the Pacific Coast League and his 1.88 ERA is the second lowest among qualified pitchers in that span.
Pecko generated 16 whiffs on 36 swings (44%), the third most whiffs among Triple-A pitchers on Friday night per BaseballSavant.
RHP Joey Mancini fired 3.0 shutout innings in his Triple-A debut, striking out one. Mancini has now pitched in extended relief in each of his last 10 outings and has gone 3.0 or more innings in 25 of his 26 appearances this year between Sugar Land and Double-A Corpus.
The Space Cowboys were shutout for the seventh time this season and the second time in the second half on Friday night. As a pitching staff, Sugar Land has turned in nine shutouts, the most in the Pacific Coast League.
With the loss on Friday night, Sugar Land is officially eliminated from playoff contention in the second half.

Sugar Land continues their eight-game series with the Express with a scheduled doubleheader on Saturday night. In Game One, RHP Miguel Ullola is scheduled to start opposite RHP Jose Corniell for a 4:30 pm CT first pitch. RHP Cody Bolton is set to throw Game Two for the Space Cowboys while Round has not named a starter. The game can be seen live on the Bally Sports Live App or MLB.TV and can be heard anywhere at SLSpaceCowboys.com.

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 are the reigning Pacific Coast League Champions and Triple-A National Champions. They began playing as the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate in 2021 and began playing under the Space Cowboys brand in 2022. 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). Fans can purchase full-season and partial-season plans for 2025 by visiting slspacecowboys.com/tickets.