Ryan Pressly Tosses Scoreless Inning as Space Cowboys Open Homestand

(SUGAR LAND, Texas) – Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly needed just six pitches to navigate a scoreless inning Tuesday night at Constellation Field as he began an MLB Rehab Assignment with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys.

The Space Cowboys dropped a 5-3 decision to the El Paso Chihuahuas in the opener of their second homestand of the season.

Pressly, who’s been on the 10-Day Injured List since April 14 with right knee inflammation, induced three ground outs. One of those ground outs was against San Diego Padres first baseman Luke Voit, who was also on an MLB Rehab Assignment.

Hunter Brown pitched in relief of Pressly and did not allow a run through the final five innings, allowing just two hits while matching his season high of eight strikeouts. Brown’s fastball topped out at 98 mph. He leads the Pacific Coast League with 34 strikeouts and is fourth with a 2.35 ERA.

JJ Matijevic, in his first game back since being optioned to the Space Cowboys, opened the Sugar Land scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Lewis Brinson hit his second home run of the year in the fourth inning, with a solo shot that left his bat at 105.7 mph and traveled 375 feet to left field.

Pedro León took an unconventional trip around the bases in the eighth. His line drive to right-center traveled over the glove of El Paso center fielder Luis Liberato for a triple. El Paso was not able to coral the relay from the outfield and León came across to score for the Space Cowboys’ final run of the night. León has hit .324 (12x37) over his last nine games. He also stole his ninth base of the season Tuesday, which lead the Space Cowboys and are the fourth-most in the PCL.

The Space Cowboys and Chihuahuas are back at it at 11:05 a.m. on Wednesday at Constellation Field. Sugar Land will send Chad Donato to the mound against El Paso’s Ryan Weathers.