Behind Ivey's Five Shutout Frames, Space Cowboys Claim Finale against Rainiers
PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Behind Ivey's Five Shutout Frames, Space Cowboys Claim Finale against Rainiers

August 3, 2025 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


SUGAR LAND, TX - RHP Tyler Ivey's (W, 3-9) 5.0 scoreless innings and Brice Matthews' two-out RBI double in the seventh lifted the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (14-16, 53-52) to a 2-1 series-finale victory over the Tacoma Rainiers (23-10, 61-47) on Sunday night at Constellation Field.

Ivey worked around a one-out single to post a zero in the top of the first before tossing a scoreless top of the second.

Jesús Bastids led off the bottom of the second with a double, his 30th of the season, but the next three Space Cowboys were retired by RHP Emerson Hancock (L, 1-2), stranding Bastidas.

After Ivey left the bases loaded in the top of the third, Bryan Lavastida lined a lead-off double to right in the bottom half and Kenedy Corona was hit by a pitch, putting two on with nobody out as the lineup flipped over. However, for the second-straight inning, Sugar Land left runners on base as the two sides stayed scoreless through three.

Jacob Hurtubise thumped a one-out triple into the right-field corner in the fifth, his first triple as a Space Cowboy, and with two gone in the frame, Jacob Melton pulled an RBI single into right, breaking the deadlock as Sugar Land went ahead, 1-0.

RHP Alimber Santa (H,1) relieved Ivey in the top of the sixth and wiggled out of a two-on one-out jam to keep the Rainiers off the board. Ivey went 5.0 shutout innings, allowing only two hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

The Space Cowboys doubled their lead in the seventh. Lavastida started the frame with a single, stole second and with two outs in the inning, Matthews blistered an RBI double over the right fielder's head to extend Sugar Land's lead to 2-0.

Although Tacoma put two runners in scoring position with nobody out in the top of the eighth, RHP Rhett Kouba (H,1) allowed only one run to score on an RBI groundout, limiting the damage as the Space Cowboys took a 2-1 advantage into ninth.

RHP Tayler Scott (S,2) was summoned from the bullpen for the top of the ninth and stranded a runner on first to secure Sugar Land's 2-1 win on Sunday.

NOTABLE:

- César Salazar went 1-for-3 on Sunday, extending his on-base streak to nine games with a double, two homers and five runs scored. Salazar is also on a six-game hitting streak.

- Jacob Hurtubise went from home to third on his fifth-inning triple in 11.19 seconds which ranks in the 99th percentile among Major League players. Hurtubise has reached base in five-straight games with the Space Cowboys with two multi-hit games.

- Tyler Ivey went 5.0 innings on Sunday without giving up a run while striking out five batters and allowing only two hits. Sunday marked Ivey's first five-strikeout outing since May 18 against the Reno Aces when he struck out eight.

- Jacob Melton went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk on Sunday, his third-straight game with an RBI with Sugar Land.

- Bryan Lavastida recorded his first multi-hit game since July 19 against the Salt Lake Bees and has recorded a hit in four of his last five games.

- Brice Matthews drove in the game-winning run on Sunday and has reached in 24 of his last 25 games with Sugar Land. Over that span, Matthews is 34-100 (.340) with seven doubles, three triples, four homers, 16 RBI, and 14 walks.

After a six-game home series against Tacoma, Sugar Land hits the road for a six-game set against the Sacramento River Cats. First pitch is set for Tuesday at 8:45 pm CT. The game can be seen live on the Bally Sports Live App or MLB.TV and can be heard anywhere at SLSpaceCowboys.com.

Check out the Sugar Land Space Cowboys Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from August 3, 2025


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