Amaya's Blast the Difference in Win Over El Paso

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Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Amaya's Blast the Difference in Win Over El Paso

August 9, 2024 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


SUGAR LAND, TX - Four runs before the fourth inning was all the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (72-39, 23-13) needed as they bested the El Paso Chihuahuas (45-67, 14-23) on Friday night at Constellation Field, 4-2.

The Space Cowboys attacked first in the opening frame when Shay Whitcomb lined a double down the left-field line to put a runner in scoring position with one out. Grae Kessinger worked a walk, and Jacob Melton snuck one past the second baseman into the outfield, sending Whitcomb home to score. Sugar Land tacked on another in the second when Jacob Amaya drove in Quincy Hamilton, who had reached on a lead-off two bagger.

In the fourth inning, César Salazar reached on a walk, and Amaya lasered a 3-0 changeup over the fence in right field for a two-run shot, extending Sugar Land's lead to 4-0.

RHP AJ Blubaugh (W, 8-3) was lights out in his 18th start of the season, retiring 18 of the first 20 batters he faced and was scoreless through six innings. He returned for the seventh and a lead-off single provided the righty's only real trouble of the night as the runner advanced to second on a stolen base and moved to third after Blubaugh induced a groundout from Tirso Ornelas. The 24-year-old's night ended after 6.1 innings, tying a career high. Blubaugh struck out eight, tying a season high and just one short of tying his career high at nine.

With Blubaugh's runner at third, RHP Seth Martinez came in for the final two outs of the seventh. Martinez got Brett Sullivan to pop out to third, but Matthew Batten knocked in El Paso's first run of the night on a single over the reach of the shortstop Amaya.

RHP Luis Conteras (H, 11) held down the eighth with a clean inning that included two strikeouts. In for the ninth was RHP Wander Suero (S, 27), seeking his 27th save of the season and his sixth in his last six games. Suero struck out the first batter he saw in Nate Mondu, but a single from José Azocar put a man on with one out. A sharp liner from Ornelas struck Suero in the leg, but the closer was well enough to stay in and finish the game. Sullivan doubled in a run to cut the Space Cowboys lead in half and bring the tying run up to the plate in Batten, but Suero won the ten-pitch battle with a punchout to send Sugar Land to victory.

The Space Cowboys will continue their final series with the El Paso Chihuahuas on Saturday night. Houston Astros RHP Justin Verlander is set to make a rehab assignment for the Space Cowboys opposite of El Paso's RHP Gabe Mosser (6-5, 5.82). The game can be heard on ESPN 92.5 FM or online here and seen on MiLB.TV, MLB.TV or Bally Live.

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