First-Inning Barrage Powers Sugar Land to Thursday Night Win
PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

First-Inning Barrage Powers Sugar Land to Thursday Night Win

Published on August 21, 2025 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


DES MOINES, IA - A three-run first and 9.0 combined innings of two-run ball from RHP Jose Fleury and RHP JP France (W, 1-1) led the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (20-25, 59-61) to a wire-to-wire 5-2 victory over the Iowa Cubs (20-28, 59-63) on Thursday night at Principal Park. France and Fleury held the Cubs to 1-for-15 (.067) with runners in scoring position on Thursday and Iowa has gone 6-for-42 (.143) with runners in scoring position so far this series. Highlights of tonight's game can be [?Folder icon] found here re.

Sugar Land jumped out in front in the top of the first. Pedro León led off the frame by slapping a single the other way and Logan Davidson walked, putting two on with nobody out. In the ensuing at-bat, Shay Whitcomb lasered a two-RBI double down the left-field line as the Space Cowboys went up, 2-0. Jon Singleton added to Sugar Land's lead as he ambushed the first pitch of his at-bat and drove an RBI base knock up the middle.

After Fleury fired a clean bottom of the first, the right-hander erased a one-out walk with an inning-ending double play. Although Fleury struck out two in the third, Iowa scored its first run of the game on a 67-mph RBI single from Moisés Ballesteros to make it a 3-1 game.

Sugar Land answered in the top of the fourth. César Salazar and Collin Price recorded back-to-back singles before Kenedy Corona muscled an RBI single into right to restore the Space Cowboys' three-run lead. In the next at-bat, León parachuted a single to the opposite field as four-straight Sugar Land batters singled to stretch their margin, 5-1.

Fleury faced the minimum in the home half of the fourth before giving way to France in the fifth. France fanned two batters in the frame, including an inning-ending strikeout to strand runners on the corners while spinning a perfect sixth.

In the seventh, France sidestepped a runner on second with one out, helped by a diving grab by León, and registered his fourth-straight scoreless inning in the eighth. Although the Cubs scored an unearned run in the ninth, France closed out Sugar Land's 5-2 win on Thursday.

NOTABLE:

- Jose Fleury went 4.0 innings on Thursday, the longest outing of his Triple-A career, allowing one run on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Fleury has only allowed one earned run across his last two appearances and 7.0 innings.

- JP France earned his first win with Sugar Land in 2025 with 5.0 innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts. France went 5.0 innings and struck out six batters for the first time since April 23, 2024 with the Astros against the Chicago Cubs.

- Shay Whitcomb recorded his first multi-hit, multi-RBI game since August 5 against the Sacramento River Cats with a 2-for-5 game with a double, two RBI and a run scored on Thursday.

- With a 1-for-3 game with a walk and a run scored, Collin Price has picked up a hit in 10 of his last 12 games with four doubles, three RBI, three walks and four runs scored.

- Logan Davidson walked and scored a run on Thursday, extending his on-base streak to 13 games, with four doubles, three homers, six RBI, seven walks and eight runs scored.

- César Salazar extended his on-base streak to 19 games with a single and a run scored on Thursday. Over his on-base streak, Salazar has two doubles, three homers, nine RBI, 14 walks and 11 runs scored.

- Pedro León went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and two stolen bases on Thursday, his first multi-hit game at the Triple-A level since September 28, 2024 in the Triple-A National Championship against Omaha.

Game four of the Space Cowboys' six-game series against Iowa begins on Friday at 7:08 pm CT. RHP AJ Blubaugh takes the ball opposite RHP Connor Noland. 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

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 21, 2025


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