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MLB

Melton Powers Early Onslaught In Sugar Land's Thursday Night Win

Javier Makes First Appearance with Sugar Land on Major League Rehab
(El Paso Chihuahuas)
By Jordan Silversmith/ Space Cowboys
July 25, 2025

The Sugar Land Space Cowboys (12-10, 51-46) scored six runs on seven hits in the first three innings, including two hits and an RBI from Jacob Melton, leading to a wire-to-wire 7-2 victory over the El Paso Chihuahuas (14-10, 52-47) on Thursday night at Southwest University Park. Melton shot a

The Sugar Land Space Cowboys (12-10, 51-46) scored six runs on seven hits in the first three innings, including two hits and an RBI from Jacob Melton, leading to a wire-to-wire 7-2 victory over the El Paso Chihuahuas (14-10, 52-47) on Thursday night at Southwest University Park.

Melton shot a two-strike single to center in the top of the first, while Jesús Bastidas was hit by a pitch, putting two on with one out. In the ensuing plate appearance, Edwin Díaz ambushed the first pitch of his at-bat and drove in Melton with a base knock back up the middle as the Space Cowboys went ahead 1-0. Collin Price doubled Sugar Land’s lead with an RBI single, putting the Space Cowboys up 2-0 as four-straight Sugar Land batters reached base.

Although El Paso plated a run in the bottom of the first, RHP Cristian Javier stranded a runner at second with nobody out by inducing three-straight flyouts to right.

Sugar Land added to their advantage in the top of the second. After Quincy Hamilton walked and stole second, Melton roped a two-out RBI double into the right-field corner, his second hit in as many innings, scoring Hamilton. On the next pitch, Bastidas lined a single into left-center, bringing in Melton as the Space Cowboys pushed out in front, 4-1. Later in the inning, Díaz drilled a double over Forrest Wall’s head in right as Bastidas touched home to make it a 5-1 game.

Javier fired a 1-2-3 bottom of the second with a lineout, popout and groundout to the 6-7-8 hitters in El Paso’s order.

Kenedy Corona walked with one out in the third, and with two gone in the frame, Hamilton plated Corona on a wind-aided RBI double as the Space Cowboys stretched their lead to 6-1.

After picking up the first two outs of the third, including a strikeout, Javier was relieved by RHP Aaron Brown (W, 3-10), who induced a flyout to retire the side. Javier went 2.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits with two walks and a strikeout on 49 pitches with 30 strikes.

Brown stayed out for the fourth and left two Chihuahuas on base before posting a zero in the fifth with a punchout. However, El Paso scored in the sixth with a two-out RBI single from Rodolfo Durán, cutting into Sugar Land’s lead, 6-2.

The Space Cowboys responded in the top of the seventh. Díaz drew a two-out walk, and in the next at-bat, Price laced a two-out triple to the opposite field, his second triple of the series, as Sugar Land regained a five-run advantage.

RHP Luis Contreras spun a scoreless bottom of the eighth, and LHP Blake Weiman extended his consecutive scoreless-innings streak to 9.2 frames by closing out the Space Cowboys’ 7-2 win with a shutout ninth.

NOTABLE:

  • Cristian Javier made his third Major League rehab appearance and first with Sugar Land on Thursday. Javier’s 49 pitches were his most so far during a rehab assignment after he threw 46 with Corpus Christi on July 18.

  • Jacob Melton made his first appearance on Major League rehab on Thursday and went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Dating back to Melton’s final four games with the Astros, before being placed on the injured list, the outfielder has a hit in four of his last five contests. Melton was pinch-hit for in the eighth inning.

  • Jesús Bastidas extended his on-base streak to 24 games, the longest from a Space Cowboys’ batter in 2025, after going 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored on Thursday. Over his on-base streak, Bastidas has eight doubles, four homers, 22 RBI and 17 runs scored. Bastidas is currently on a 10-game hitting streak, with six multi-hit games over that span, going 18-for-42 (.429) with five doubles, a homer, nine RBI and seven runs scored.

  • Collin Price is currently on a nine-game on-base streak after going 2-for-5 with a triple and two RBI on Thursday. During his on-base streak, Price is 14-for-32 (.438) with three doubles, two triples, a homer, five RBI, six walks and five runs scored. Price is also on a six-game hitting streak, going 12-for-22 (.545) with six extra-base hits and four multi-hit games. Thursday was Price’s third triple of the season and his second in his last three games.

  • Edwin Díaz recorded his sixth multi-hit game during the month of July, along with his fifth double.

  • Ray Gaither made his first appearance since being activated off the 7-Day IL and went 1.0 scoreless inning in the seventh with a walk and a strikeout.

Game four of the Space Cowboys’ six-game set against the Chihuahuas starts Friday at 7:35 pm CT. RHP AJ Blubaugh toes the rubber opposite El Paso starter RHP Logan Gillaspie. 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.

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 playing 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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