Joe Espada Joins After Astros Take Game 1 vs Rangers

Joe Espada Joins After Astros Take Game 1 vs Rangers

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Please to be joined by one Joe A. Spota here
on Sports Talk seven ninety. It is the Matt Thomas
Show with Ross. Matt is out today, Joe, So we're
gonna give you a break from him. You just got
me today. How how about that win last night? Very important?
We know this is a big homestand it had to
feel good to start it off with a win. Jord
On Alvarez situation nowithstanding.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, Ross, thank you for having me again. Uh yeah,
it was. It was big win, big week here, big
home stand for us at home, every game matters, and
I think yesterday we we you know, we prevailed through
a very difficult you know, uh day. You know, the
injury to your Don obviously took the air out of

(00:46):
us early in the game, but we were able to
uh push through it and Zach Cole came came out big,
and we came out with a big win, big game one.
But again, you know, it's hard to ignore the injury
to your done and what it means to our club.
But hopefully we were here from a doctor. We hopefully

(01:07):
we get some good news and we could get him
back on the field.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
So no, no update as of this moment.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
No, he just actually he's seeing the doctors right now.
He came in got some treatment done before seeing the doctors.
So hopefully in a couple of hours we'll we'll find out,
you know, the extent of this injury.

Speaker 3 (01:26):
What what did you see on that plate? It was
it was so weird.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
It was it looked like there was it was like
there was a banana appeal on on home plate.

Speaker 3 (01:32):
It was just such an odd play. How did you
see it?

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, it was it looked like his foot just slipped,
you know, slippery from home plate. You know, Uh, I
know that usually early in the game, the first you know,
the first inning or two, you know, when they water
the infield. When the water in the home plate area,
you know, our guys usually put a towel on the

(01:58):
on you know, like on top of the plate to
keep the home plate from from getting wet. Uh. Maybe
he spikes kind of slid from alderneath him. I don't know.
It was really it was really weird the way it happened.
So hopefully we we we hear some good news here

(02:18):
in the next hour or two. Uh.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
And yeah, also on that play Tony's Paris Chica, did
you I know you mentioned in the post game. You
didn't see the play, We're able to see that he
put up the stop sign, and I'm just curious, you
know about that type of process. We know that hitters
work with hitting coaches, pitchers work with the pigeon coaches,
stuff like that. What is that like with you talking
to Tony Paris Chica and the decisions to where it
seems like, you know, sometimes guys go through his stop

(02:45):
signs and score, and that was another situation like that
last night.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
You know, for me, it happens throughout the league. You know,
one thing that I've always told our base runners is,
you know, Tony is there to help you, but the
group base runners the one that don't need a third
base coach. So for example, on that particular play, I
did see that Tony put his hands up, but yo
done did look over his left shoulder, He did pick

(03:11):
the ball up. He saw that you know, uh, what's
his name? My Garcia was taking his time and kind
of running the ball in and you know, you're done
kind of instinctionally used his instincts and he score on
that play. So it's you know, obviously we'll we'll have
a conversation as a group. But we always encourage our

(03:34):
players and once to get to that base, find the ball.
You could make decisions based based on your momentum, where
you at and what the defender is doing that particular play.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
Astros manager Joe Spotta was here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Well,
let's get to some positive news. Zach Cole coming in
to replace Jordan in the lineup. How about that guy?
A couple of hits, another big home run, three runs
driven in. I mean, how fun has that been to
see to watch him and put him out there and
having the kid opsing over fourteen hundred.

Speaker 2 (04:08):
Man, it's it's been fun. And we we you know,
he got he got better throughout the year, and he
did some things in the Mounto leagues that you know,
obviously open our eyes and put him on the radar.
And we have been looking for a little offensive spark
here the last couple of weeks, and you know, he

(04:30):
was knocking on the door. He was loud enough where
we thought that, you know what, this might be the
right time uh to do this. And he has provided
that spark. He has provided that energy, the power that
that the hit tool, getting some big hits, and you know,
we need we need some spark the next two weeks

(04:52):
and and and hopefully he can provide some of that,
some of that and can you know, uh trick down
to everyone and you know, go hitting. Its contagious. So
hopefully it Zach Cole provides that the energy that we've
been that we've been searching for.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
On that home run at bat, I thought it was
extremely impressive. He gets down to two strikes, and we
know that pitchers like to go with four seamers up
in the zone. Those can be tough pitches to get to.
And it was up in the zone by Jack Lder
throws a good four seamer and he got around on it.

Speaker 2 (05:26):
Yeah, he you know, Jack Ltder, he executed his pitch,
but Cole was ready for it. Uh. He had a
nice swing top of the zone. And I'm telling you
it's it was, it was. It was very impressive. How
he's been able to make adjustment in the small sample
size of our bats he's gotten, but everything starts with

(05:47):
his preparation and he's he comes to the ballpark, he's
he understands what pitcher trying to do. He knows his strength,
he knows his weaknesses. He's he making an adjustment of
bat to a bat, So hopefully we keep that going. Man,
we need someone. Uh.

Speaker 3 (06:00):
Also good news in the game last night.

Speaker 1 (06:03):
You were able to stay away from Brian A Bray
you for a few games and you got him to
close the game out. Got into a little bit of trouble,
but was able to get out of there and close
another game for you.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we've been you know. Our our
offense in Atlanta allows us to you know, stay away
from from a Brew and and and King also, and
I was able to use King for for five outs
last night. Hopefully we would go out there, we score
some runs today and we could give those guys a blow.

(06:35):
But yeah, you know, always been good for us. A
few rough outings the last last week, but he's the
guy that we lean on. He's been good for us
for many years. This guy has been lights out in
the postseason. This guy is one of the best relievers
in the game. So I feel really good when he's
out there.

Speaker 1 (06:50):
Astroz manager Joe Spott continuing with us here on a
Sports Talk seven ninety a j Blue Ball on the
Hill getting the start for you tonight. Uh, do you
have any expectations as far as a pitch count. And
also I'm just curious about what you've seen from him
when he first comes came up to now to where
to me, just his body language and everything on the hill,

(07:11):
he just looks like he's full of more confidence.

Speaker 2 (07:14):
And you nail the uh, you know, you nail the
head the nail on the head there. It's just a
level of confidence that he's pitching with every outing his stuff,
you know, gets better, execution gets better because he knows that,
you know, we you know, what pitches work with him,
works for him against certain hitters. We've been you know,

(07:35):
he started gains for us. He has been a really
solid reliever. Wanting him to go out there and give
us a couple of innings today, uh pitch counts. Uh,
you know, we we open to see how far he
takes us, right, we we really need him to cover
some some innings early and hopefully we can we can

(07:56):
hand the ball to our bullpen, uh with the lead,
and we can we can you know, we can win.
We can win it back to back series.

Speaker 1 (08:04):
And most importantly, Joe, how do you feel about that
old school look with the pants up to the knees.

Speaker 3 (08:10):
That it looks Yeah, I do.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
You know what I do to right this generation of players,
they kind of like that that look. I don't mind,
you know, the players swag. It's something that goes with
with with this age and you know, I'm all about
players pressing themselves and and being themselves and it's and
it's it's great for the for the for the for

(08:34):
the sport. As long as we continue to respect the
game and play the game the way he's supposed to be,
have no problem with it.

Speaker 1 (08:40):
Jose L two missing some time over the weekend with
the foot played yesterday, how's he doing.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
He's doing, He's doing well. We're still monitoring the foot.
You know, this is something that is not going to
go away immediately, but he is good enough to go,
and he knows the importants having him on the on
the field and where we at h in the season.
Uh So we will continue to monitor his foot and

(09:07):
make sure that, you know, we get him ready to play.
He's he communicates very well with us, letting us know
how he feels. But right now, you know, right now
he's in good to go.

Speaker 3 (09:18):
Are you?

Speaker 1 (09:19):
Of course, a lot of important games, basically every game
very important down the stretch.

Speaker 3 (09:23):
What is that like for you?

Speaker 1 (09:25):
Now and a manager in your second season. As far
as wanting to do you treat these like playoff games?
Do you want guys to kind of to be loose
and free and easy? What what is your approach as
far as a managerial style down the stretch here?

Speaker 2 (09:38):
Both you know there, I want my players to be
relaxed and lose. Uh. These players know what we what
we're playing for while we're fighting for the purpose of
every game. They know I don't need to remind them.
And for me, well, of course, it's going to be
a level of uh, you know, more intensity in and

(09:59):
and more you know, pedal to the medal if you will.
You know, it's this kind of like a playoff atmosphere
right now. The next two series are huge for us,
so there's going to be more quicker, you know, earlier moves,
more aggressive moves, trying to keep our lead or trying

(10:20):
to extend our lead in a game, just trying to
give us the best chances to win the game.

Speaker 3 (10:25):
All right.

Speaker 1 (10:26):
Astros manager Joe Aspota are weekly guest here on Tuesdays
on The Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 3 (10:32):
Managers Joe spot. I appreciate the time.

Speaker 1 (10:34):
As always, we'll talk to you down the road and
good luck and get a win at dik.

Speaker 3 (10:38):
In Park tonight.

Speaker 2 (10:40):
All right, bus, thank you, all right, there you go.

Speaker 3 (10:42):
Astros manager Joe aspotted