Salazar's Go-Ahead Homer Sends Sugar Land to Series-Opening Win
PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Salazar's Go-Ahead Homer Sends Sugar Land to Series-Opening Win

Published on August 13, 2025 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


SUGAR LAND, TX - César Salazar's go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth sparked the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (15-22, 54-58) to a 4-3 series-opening victory over the Salt Lake Bees (18-22, 47-67) on Tuesday night at Constellation Field. Sugar Land's bullpen tossed 8.2 scoreless innings to secure the Tuesday night win.

Salt Lake took an early 3-0 lead with three runs in the top of the first on five walks and a hit batter, but the Space Cowboys responded in the bottom half. Brice Matthews belted Sugar Land's sixth lead-off homer of the season with a 423-foot launch to left to make it a 3-1 game.

After a scoreless second and third, the Bees threatened in the top of the fourth with two on and one out. RHP Jayden Murray retired the final two batters of the frame to keep the Space Cowboys' deficit at two runs. Murray picked up the first two outs of the fifth before giving way to LHP John Rooney (W, 1-0) who struck out the final batter of the frame as Sugar Land tossed their fourth-straight shutout inning.

Jon Singleton knocked a base hit to left with one out in the sixth and Zack Short walked as the Space Cowboys put two runners on base for the first time tonight. In the ensuing at-bat, Salazar sparked Sugar Land's offense with a three-run homer to right as the Space Cowboys took their first lead of the game, 4-3.

RHP Logan VanWey (H,4) entered in the seventh and preserved Sugar Land's one-run lead with a 1-2-3 frame. RHP Nick Hernandez (H,8) was summoned from the bullpen for the eighth and punched out the final two Salt Lake hitters to post a zero in the inning. In the ninth, RHP Tayler Scott (S,3) locked down the Space Cowboys' 4-3 win with a scoreless frame as the final nine Salt Lake hitters were retired.

NOTABLE:

- Brice Matthews bombed Sugar Land's sixth lead-off home run of the season with 423-foot solo shot in the first that came off his bat at 108.8 mph. Matthews' lead-off homer was the first Space Cowboy lead-off blast since Zack Short opened the game with a blast on June 12 against the Reno Aces.

- Jayden Murray went 2.2 scoreless innings on with a walk and two strikeouts. Murray has allowed only four earned runs with 18 strikeouts across his last 12 appearances.

- César Salazar extended his on-base streak to 13 games on Tuesday with a go-ahead homer in the sixth. Over his on-base streak, Salazar has two doubles, three homers, nine RBI, 10 walks and nine runs scored.

- With a 1-for-3 game on Tuesday Shay Whitcomb Shay Whitcomb is 22-for-73 (.301) in his last 16 games with Sugar Land, dating back to June 27, with five doubles, a homer, 10 RBI, seven walks and nine runs scored.

Game two of Sugar Land's six-game series against the Salt Lake Bees begins on Wednesday at 7:05 pm CT. The Space Cowboys will start RHP Ethan Pecko opposite RHP Dakota Hudson. 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 13, 2025


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