Space Cowboys Get Season-High in Strikeouts from France
PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Space Cowboys Get Season-High in Strikeouts from France

Published on August 15, 2025 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


SUGAR LAND, TX - RHP JP France fired a season-high 4.0 innings and seven strikeouts in the Sugar Land Space Cowboys' (15-24, 54-60) 7-3 defeat to the Salt Lake Bees (20-22, 49-67) on Thursday night at Constellation Field.

After France (L, 0-1) struck out the side in the top of the first, Sugar Land jumped out in front in the home half. Brice Matthews led off the frame with a double before Jon Singleton whacked a two-out RBI single to right, plating Matthews as the Space Cowboys went up, 1-0.

France fanned the first two batters in the top of the second during a 1-2-3 inning as the right-hander rang up five of the first six Salt Lake batters he faced.

The Bees loaded the bases in the top of the fourth and scored three runs in the frame to take a 3-1 lead, including a two-RBI single from Yolmer Sanchez. Miguel Palma doubled with two outs in the bottom half as Sugar Land threatened to answer, but was left on. In the ensuing inning, Salt Lake had the bases loaded in the fifth and plated four runs in the frame to open the game up, 7-1.

RHP Rhett Kouba hurled a scoreless sixth, seventh and top of the eighth to settle the contest down for the Space Cowboys on the mound while Sugar Land pulled closer in the bottom of the eighth. Shay Whitcomb legged out an infield single to lead off the inning and Logan Davidson drove a two-run homer to right to make it a 7-3 game. However, the Space Cowboys were held off the board in the bottom of the ninth and fell on Thursday, 7-3.

NOTABLE:

- JP France went 4.0 innings on Thursday, allowing three runs on four hits with four walks and seven strikeouts. France's seven strikeouts were a season high and his first seven-strikeout game since August 18, 2023 with the Astros against the Seattle Mariners. France's 4.0 innings were also a season high.

- With a 2-for-5 game with a double and a run scored, Brice Matthews has reached base in 32 of his last 34 games with Sugar Land, going 43-138 (.312) with 10 doubles, three triples, six homers, 20 RBI, and 18 walks.

- Logan Davidson drove a two-run homer in the eighth, his second homer as a Space Cowboy. In the month of August, Davidson has a hit in seven of his 11 games with three doubles, two homers, seven RBI, five walks and seven runs scored.

- Rhett Kouba went 3.1 scoreless innings in relief on Thursday, the second time in his last three appearances going 3.1 shutout frames. As a reliever, Kouba holds a 3.36 ERA with 59.0 innings, the most innings from a Sugar Land reliever.

- César Salazar extended his on-base streak to 15 games with a 1-for-3 night on Thursday with a walk. Over his on-base streak, Salazar has two doubles, three homers, nine RBI, 11 walks and nine runs scored.

Game four of Sugar Land's six-game series against Salt Lake starts on Friday at 7:05 pm CT. RHP AJ Blubaugh is slated to start for the Space Cowboys opposite RHP Jack Kochanowicz. 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 15, 2025


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