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MLB

Bluaugh Sets Tone As Space Cowboys Blank Bulls

Sugar Land Righty Ties Career High With Nine Punchouts
By Garrett Greene/Space Cowboys
April 1, 2025

Despite being held to two hits, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (2-2) won their first ever game against the Durham Bulls (2-2), blanking Durham 2-0 on Tuesday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. After being held to a hit in the first two frames against RHP Joe Boyle (L, 0-1),

Despite being held to two hits, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (2-2) won their first ever game against the Durham Bulls (2-2), blanking Durham 2-0 on Tuesday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

After being held to a hit in the first two frames against RHP Joe Boyle (L, 0-1), the Space Cowboys pieced together a two-out rally in the third. Brice Matthews worked a walk and stole second before Luis Guillorme also earned a free pass, putting two men on for Shay Whitcomb. The Space Cowboys right fielder ripped a double into the left-field corner, scoring both runners to provide the only offense of the night for Sugar Land.

On the mound, RHP AJ Blubaugh (W, 1-0) was lights out in his first start of the season. He struck out the side in the first despite giving up a single and stranded a pair of runners in the second, ending the frame with a strikeout of Kenny Piper. That started a string of ten-in-a-row retired by Blubaugh, including five punchouts in that stretch. A Chandler Simpson infield single broke up the run of consecutive batters retired, but the Space Cowboys were able to double up the centerfielder at first after he tried to steal second on a flyout to right from Eloy Jiminez.

Sugar Land threatened to score one other time during the contest, loading the bases up with two outs in the sixth before a strikeout stifled the chance. Out of the bullpen, LHP Bennett Sousa (H, 1) had the lead-off man reach on a single, and a passed ball and steal put him at third, but Sousa struck out the side to fire a scoreless seventh. RHP Logan VanWey (H, 1) also stranded a man at second in a scoreless eighth, and RHP Miguel Castro (S, 1) recovered from an error that allowed Bob Seymour to reach, retiring the next three hitters in order to lock down the win.

NOTABLE:

  • AJ Blubaugh turned in a quality start in his first appearance of the season. It comes after the righty fired six quality starts with Sugar Land in 2024. The 24-year-old topped out at 97.3 mph tonight, the fastest tracked pitch in his Triple-A career. In total, Blubaugh recorded three of his eight fastest pitches in his Triple-A career tonight, with all three pitches landing for strikes, including two for strikeouts.
  • Sugar Land fired their first shutout of 2025 in just their fourth game. The Space Cowboys recorded their first shutout in 2024 in their seventh game and ended up throwing five shutouts during their Triple-A Championship season.
  • The Space Cowboys pitching staff did not walk a batter on Tuesday night, their second outing in four games in which they did not allow a walk. Sugar Land also struck out a season-high 16 batters.
  • Zack Short worked two more walks on Tuesday night, pushing him to eight total walks in 2025. He has walked twice in all four games with Sugar Land.
  • Brice Matthews successfully stole his third base of the season in as many games.
  • LHP Bennett Soua made his third consecutive scoreless outing for the Space Cowboys. In 3.0 innings, he has allowed two hits without walking a batter and struck out four.

The Space Cowboys continue their six-game series with the Bulls on Wednesday night. RHP Tyler Ivey is scheduled to start for Sugar Land opposite Durham RHP Connor Seabold for a 5:35 pm CT first pitch. The game can be seen live on the Bally Sports Live App or MLB.TV and can be heard anywhere at SLSpaceCowboys.com. Season Memberships for the 2025 Space Cowboy season, including Full and Partial Season membership plans, can be purchased online here.

ABOUT THE SUGAR LAND SPACE COWBOYS:

The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros and compete in the Pacific Coast League. They are the reigning Pacific Coast League Champions and Triple-A National Champions. They began play as the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate in 2021 and began playing under the Space Cowboys brand in 2022. The Space Cowboys play at Constellation Field, located at the corner of Hwy-6 and US-90 Alternate in Sugar Land, Texas. Follow the team on Twitter (@SLSpaceCowboys), Instagram (@slspacecowboys), Facebook (SLSpaceCowboys) and their official website (slspacecowboys.com). Fans can purchase full-season and partial-season plans for 2025 by visiting slspacecowboys.com/tickets.

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