June 24, 2025 • 10 mins
Joe Espada Joins The Show After A Successful Stretch Of Games Dominating The AL West
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Zim prest to spend ten called a minutes with the
manager of your beloved Houston Astros, and we do that
with Joe a spotted Tonight. The Astro started a series
with the Philadelphia Phillies in the three games set with
the Chicago Cubs this weekend, Skip, I hope you enjoyed
the off day. I got to go back to Sacramento
a little bit. I didn't realize it was like home
run derby in that ballpark. That ball travels fast out
(00:22):
of that building, does it not?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
It look it looked like it did. Yeah, it play
it played small, and you know, but I thought, you know,
both teams kind of new going into the series, and
there were some long home runs for sure during during
that series.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Would y'all fee Mauricio do Bon on the road trip?
Four home runs? My goodness.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Yeah. So I'm really on the back, really well, really
love going to uh Sacramento in front of his home crowd,
in front of family and friends, and he really had
a really good series. Also, carry that that momentum into
the into a into Los Angeles. Swim the bat really well,
put some good swing quality of bats. Really saw him,
you know, stepping up and getting some huge hits for US.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Four and three road trip. Give me a higher level
of both of the trips so far. When you when
you when you saw, I mean the numbers offensively were
significantly better than maybe the previous couple of weeks. But
you're starting pitching, you know. Look, you wish you could
go through the order every single time and get you know,
seven innings or two run ball. But you were able
to still get a winning road trip despite the fact
that some of your starters got hit a little bit.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Uh, you know what, I thought, we had a really good,
really good road trip. And you want to play you know,
if you if you want, you want to play foul
hundred on the road, and we did that. We did
a lot of things. Well we are we are getting
good pitching from a lot of our from a lot
of the fellas. And uh, you know, it's not easy, uh,
when you are going through moments like this where we
(01:52):
have had some injuries and we're asking guys to step
up and pitch innings. Uh and and but but I'm
really leads with the way we are we're going about things.
I couldn't be more proud of these group. You know,
thirteen game stretch of games West Coast, you know weather
and it was really warm and Sacramento and we're really
(02:14):
grinding through things, just really really happy, very pleased with
the way we're playing baseball.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
And Jeremy Painey continues to play well. It feels like
at some point, I mean, he's so far ahead of
his career numbers, I'm kind of like, ah, is this
going to keep going? And it just keeps going? How
is he able to do this well?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
You know, there was no doubt that you know, there's
no doubt in my mind that he could keep sitting
this going for for the rest of his career. He's
a really talented young man, and he has made adjustment
that I think he can prolong this four years to come.
You know, he's smart, he's really well prepared every time
he steps on the baseball field, and his work ethic
(02:54):
he's impeccable, and I know he can create consistency throughout
his career because just how you know discipline he is.
But he is right now All Star Wars. He is
playing the best baseball that I've seen out of Jeremy
uh since he since he joined US.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
News coming yesterday that he changed representation to Scott Boris,
is that ever anything you talked to players about or
in casual conversations or you just keep it baseball, Matt, I.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Stay away from all those conversations. That was ross not me.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
That's me.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
I would do that.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
That's good. Joe spotted with us here on the Sports
Talk seven ety So Philadelphia and Chicago coming in. This
is gonna be a nice little Barrometer test for you
guys back home is a good but be a pair
of first place teams. Uh, you don't see these teams
but once a year anything, Uh stand out with Philadelphia
And besides the fact they're just crushing the ball these.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Days, no exciting. He's going to be exciting here baseball
for the whole week. Two first place teams, teams playing
really good baseball, talented teams. Uh, you know they they're
not only the Phillies can hit, but they also have
some really good starting pitching. So we are playing good baseball.
So it's going to be fun baseball for the next
six days and we need to continue the momentum moving
(04:11):
moving forward. We've played you know, we're playing really good
here at home, so we are excited to be here
at home playing these two good teams in front of our.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Home crowd, uh Skipper, anything new on the injury front,
and you have got a few guys that we got
some positive reports on where we Have you heard anything
about Lance? I know Spencer's getting a little bit closer,
and you get some other guys down the road, and
obviously getting Chas McCormick back giving you some outfield depth.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we are. We are getting some guys
that are moving in the right directions. I know Lance
threw up the mound yesterday and he went really well.
Hopefully we get him to go up the mound here
in the next few days one more. Again you mentioned mccormicks.
He's also moving in the right direction. He's hitting, he's going,
he's doing funnel baseball activity. Hopefully we could transition him
down to Florida here to get some of my best
(04:56):
pretty soon. Spencer also is doing well, is Garcia and
and Javier JP France. All those guys are also doing well,
same as Jordan Oliveraretz. So we are getting some guys healthy.
Hopefully we could get these guys uh back back back
here in Houston and and and help us win some games.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
You know, it's funny to me when there was a
lot of question marks about the squad coming in. I
think there was some probably some uncertainty with your bullpen
even even as you were about to leave West Palm
Beach teed go from uncertainty to man, you can rely
on those guys and have done so all year long.
That has to be one of the huge storylines of
the spaceball season as we hit the halfway point.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Yeah, and you know we have been we have been
very lucky with you know, with with this guys. They
from day one, they show us to supreme training, they
competing for spots. They knew the importance of having a
you know, a solid and healthy bullpen, and these guys
have done that doing everything in my pop those guys healthy.
(05:53):
That's important. You know, our pitching coach is doing a
tremendous job just keeping those guys, you know, focus and
prepare for every series. Uh. You know, we we've been
very fortunate to have a group of relievers that have
really help us, you know, win some games, keep you
keep us closing games so we could come back and
giving the offense and opportunity to come back and win games.
(06:18):
You know, very fortunate to have a group of relievers
up and we've got a lot of people, so we're
going to computer guys and we can keep them.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Going for lets your run skip. Ryan Guesso has been
kind of your swing guy, parts time starter, part time reliever,
and has been starting a lot because of obviously the
the ailments in the rotation. That is never an easy
position for anybody. What is it like just getting with
him and just saying, hey, enjoy the experience. You're a
major leaguer. You were a guy that we were going
(06:50):
to give you a shot. Dan the last year couldn't
do so, but now kind of taking the best opportunity
he can is just trying to figure out his way
to stay on this twenty six man roster.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
And he and he exactly and you said it, Matt,
He's he's open to helping us, uh uh, either out
of the bullpen or in the rotation. You know, when
when Lands went down, we asked him on short notice
eight we need you to start tomorrow or you know,
because of you know, the injury to Lens. And he's like, listen,
I'm ready to go. And he goes out and he
(07:21):
you know, he posts and and he throws the ball
really well for us. You know, we got a couple
bunch of young kids who who are eager to to
establish himself in the big leagues, who are ready to contribute.
And that has been something that we have done here
really well and in an Astros for for a long time,
identifying good young pictures and developing into major league major
(07:45):
league pictures.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
You know, it's crazy to me and look not that
you spend a lot of time looking at the Baseball
Americas and baseball perspectives now he say, we know the
Astros montaling systems bottom five skip. You've been able to
go to those guys so much, whether it's position players
or leievers, to come in to help you. I find
this to be largely overrated. Where would you have not
have been if you haven't been able to go to
sugar Land and get some guys over the course of
(08:07):
the year.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Listen, I trust our people in our PD department. I
try not to read any into what the news and
the forecast and the I just don't don't don't like
doing that because a lot of times they don't really
(08:29):
know what we know about our guys, right. I know
the character and I personally know a lot of our players.
I know the coaches, I know the people who invest
ours trying to develop our players, and we have shown
that throughout the years that we don't need to be
ranked according to you know, Baseball America, whatever it is.
(08:50):
But that's that's not what it's all about. It's about
developing these players, teaching them what it takes to be
successful at the major league level, and we have had
a really great history of doing just that last question.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
You know, you started Cam Smith batt eighth or ninth
when he first got up here, and he steadily moved
up the lineup. Part of it because guys are getting
days off. Part of the fact that his offensive has
been much better is that what you kind of thought
when you first inserted him is like, Hey, I understand
there's a lot of pressure on this young man for
being a first time major leaguer, and I'm gonna take
some of that pressure up by putting him in the
bottom third. But he's got to grow with confidence when
(09:29):
he walks gets in the ballpark every day and sees
him in the upper half of that lineup.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Yeah, you know what, I view him as someone who's
gonna be hitting in the middle of a lineup in
the future, I think we need to slow the process
down and do it in a way where we are
we're doing it for at the right time against certain
certain type of pitchers that match us up really well
(09:55):
against them, and protecting him that way. But there's going
to be a dayt where you where you're going to
walk in here and this young man is going to
be hitting in the middle of the lineup for four
years and years to come. Uh. But right now we're
in the process or developing for him to learn, for
him to adjust, not be overwhelmed by a lot of
things that goes on in daily basis. But but right now,
(10:17):
he's swinging it back really well. He's starting to drive
the ball out of the ballpark. His two strike approach,
he's really good. So I expect him just to be
kind of moving and hitting somewhere in the middle line
up for the next couple of you know, the next
couple of weeks, and and if there's if there's need
to be changed to protect him, I'll do that, but
I'll make sure that I communicate that with him to
(10:38):
make sure that he understand what's what's the plan.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Skip Thanks for visitors, always will do it again again
next week. Good luck this week against the the Afhillies
and the couple. We appreciate the visit as always, all right,
thanks See that's the Joe spot up with us here
on Sports Talk seven on eighty
Zim prest to spend ten called a minutes with the
manager of your beloved Houston Astros, and we do that
with Joe a spotted Tonight. The Astro started a series
with the Philadelphia Phillies in the three games set with
the Chicago Cubs this weekend, Skip, I hope you enjoyed
the off day. I got to go back to Sacramento
a little bit. I didn't realize it was like home
run derby in that ballpark. That ball travels fast out
(00:22):
of that building, does it not?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
It look it looked like it did. Yeah, it play
it played small, and you know, but I thought, you know,
both teams kind of new going into the series, and
there were some long home runs for sure during during
that series.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Would y'all fee Mauricio do Bon on the road trip?
Four home runs? My goodness.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Yeah. So I'm really on the back, really well, really
love going to uh Sacramento in front of his home crowd,
in front of family and friends, and he really had
a really good series. Also, carry that that momentum into
the into a into Los Angeles. Swim the bat really well,
put some good swing quality of bats. Really saw him,
you know, stepping up and getting some huge hits for US.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Four and three road trip. Give me a higher level
of both of the trips so far. When you when
you when you saw, I mean the numbers offensively were
significantly better than maybe the previous couple of weeks. But
you're starting pitching, you know. Look, you wish you could
go through the order every single time and get you know,
seven innings or two run ball. But you were able
to still get a winning road trip despite the fact
that some of your starters got hit a little bit.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Uh, you know what, I thought, we had a really good,
really good road trip. And you want to play you know,
if you if you want, you want to play foul
hundred on the road, and we did that. We did
a lot of things. Well we are we are getting
good pitching from a lot of our from a lot
of the fellas. And uh, you know, it's not easy, uh,
when you are going through moments like this where we
(01:52):
have had some injuries and we're asking guys to step
up and pitch innings. Uh and and but but I'm
really leads with the way we are we're going about things.
I couldn't be more proud of these group. You know,
thirteen game stretch of games West Coast, you know weather
and it was really warm and Sacramento and we're really
(02:14):
grinding through things, just really really happy, very pleased with
the way we're playing baseball.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
And Jeremy Painey continues to play well. It feels like
at some point, I mean, he's so far ahead of
his career numbers, I'm kind of like, ah, is this
going to keep going? And it just keeps going? How
is he able to do this well?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
You know, there was no doubt that you know, there's
no doubt in my mind that he could keep sitting
this going for for the rest of his career. He's
a really talented young man, and he has made adjustment
that I think he can prolong this four years to come.
You know, he's smart, he's really well prepared every time
he steps on the baseball field, and his work ethic
(02:54):
he's impeccable, and I know he can create consistency throughout
his career because just how you know discipline he is.
But he is right now All Star Wars. He is
playing the best baseball that I've seen out of Jeremy
uh since he since he joined US.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
News coming yesterday that he changed representation to Scott Boris,
is that ever anything you talked to players about or
in casual conversations or you just keep it baseball, Matt, I.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Stay away from all those conversations. That was ross not me.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
That's me.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
I would do that.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
That's good. Joe spotted with us here on the Sports
Talk seven ety So Philadelphia and Chicago coming in. This
is gonna be a nice little Barrometer test for you
guys back home is a good but be a pair
of first place teams. Uh, you don't see these teams
but once a year anything, Uh stand out with Philadelphia
And besides the fact they're just crushing the ball these.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Days, no exciting. He's going to be exciting here baseball
for the whole week. Two first place teams, teams playing
really good baseball, talented teams. Uh, you know they they're
not only the Phillies can hit, but they also have
some really good starting pitching. So we are playing good baseball.
So it's going to be fun baseball for the next
six days and we need to continue the momentum moving
(04:11):
moving forward. We've played you know, we're playing really good
here at home, so we are excited to be here
at home playing these two good teams in front of our.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Home crowd, uh Skipper, anything new on the injury front,
and you have got a few guys that we got
some positive reports on where we Have you heard anything
about Lance? I know Spencer's getting a little bit closer,
and you get some other guys down the road, and
obviously getting Chas McCormick back giving you some outfield depth.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we are. We are getting some guys
that are moving in the right directions. I know Lance
threw up the mound yesterday and he went really well.
Hopefully we get him to go up the mound here
in the next few days one more. Again you mentioned mccormicks.
He's also moving in the right direction. He's hitting, he's going,
he's doing funnel baseball activity. Hopefully we could transition him
down to Florida here to get some of my best
(04:56):
pretty soon. Spencer also is doing well, is Garcia and
and Javier JP France. All those guys are also doing well,
same as Jordan Oliveraretz. So we are getting some guys healthy.
Hopefully we could get these guys uh back back back
here in Houston and and and help us win some games.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
You know, it's funny to me when there was a
lot of question marks about the squad coming in. I
think there was some probably some uncertainty with your bullpen
even even as you were about to leave West Palm
Beach teed go from uncertainty to man, you can rely
on those guys and have done so all year long.
That has to be one of the huge storylines of
the spaceball season as we hit the halfway point.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Yeah, and you know we have been we have been
very lucky with you know, with with this guys. They
from day one, they show us to supreme training, they
competing for spots. They knew the importance of having a
you know, a solid and healthy bullpen, and these guys
have done that doing everything in my pop those guys healthy.
(05:53):
That's important. You know, our pitching coach is doing a
tremendous job just keeping those guys, you know, focus and
prepare for every series. Uh. You know, we we've been
very fortunate to have a group of relievers that have
really help us, you know, win some games, keep you
keep us closing games so we could come back and
giving the offense and opportunity to come back and win games.
(06:18):
You know, very fortunate to have a group of relievers
up and we've got a lot of people, so we're
going to computer guys and we can keep them.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Going for lets your run skip. Ryan Guesso has been
kind of your swing guy, parts time starter, part time reliever,
and has been starting a lot because of obviously the
the ailments in the rotation. That is never an easy
position for anybody. What is it like just getting with
him and just saying, hey, enjoy the experience. You're a
major leaguer. You were a guy that we were going
(06:50):
to give you a shot. Dan the last year couldn't
do so, but now kind of taking the best opportunity
he can is just trying to figure out his way
to stay on this twenty six man roster.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
And he and he exactly and you said it, Matt,
He's he's open to helping us, uh uh, either out
of the bullpen or in the rotation. You know, when
when Lands went down, we asked him on short notice
eight we need you to start tomorrow or you know,
because of you know, the injury to Lens. And he's like, listen,
I'm ready to go. And he goes out and he
(07:21):
you know, he posts and and he throws the ball
really well for us. You know, we got a couple
bunch of young kids who who are eager to to
establish himself in the big leagues, who are ready to contribute.
And that has been something that we have done here
really well and in an Astros for for a long time,
identifying good young pictures and developing into major league major
(07:45):
league pictures.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
You know, it's crazy to me and look not that
you spend a lot of time looking at the Baseball
Americas and baseball perspectives now he say, we know the
Astros montaling systems bottom five skip. You've been able to
go to those guys so much, whether it's position players
or leievers, to come in to help you. I find
this to be largely overrated. Where would you have not
have been if you haven't been able to go to
sugar Land and get some guys over the course of
(08:07):
the year.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Listen, I trust our people in our PD department. I
try not to read any into what the news and
the forecast and the I just don't don't don't like
doing that because a lot of times they don't really
(08:29):
know what we know about our guys, right. I know
the character and I personally know a lot of our players.
I know the coaches, I know the people who invest
ours trying to develop our players, and we have shown
that throughout the years that we don't need to be
ranked according to you know, Baseball America, whatever it is.
(08:50):
But that's that's not what it's all about. It's about
developing these players, teaching them what it takes to be
successful at the major league level, and we have had
a really great history of doing just that last question.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
You know, you started Cam Smith batt eighth or ninth
when he first got up here, and he steadily moved
up the lineup. Part of it because guys are getting
days off. Part of the fact that his offensive has
been much better is that what you kind of thought
when you first inserted him is like, Hey, I understand
there's a lot of pressure on this young man for
being a first time major leaguer, and I'm gonna take
some of that pressure up by putting him in the
bottom third. But he's got to grow with confidence when
(09:29):
he walks gets in the ballpark every day and sees
him in the upper half of that lineup.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Yeah, you know what, I view him as someone who's
gonna be hitting in the middle of a lineup in
the future, I think we need to slow the process
down and do it in a way where we are
we're doing it for at the right time against certain
certain type of pitchers that match us up really well
(09:55):
against them, and protecting him that way. But there's going
to be a dayt where you where you're going to
walk in here and this young man is going to
be hitting in the middle of the lineup for four
years and years to come. Uh. But right now we're
in the process or developing for him to learn, for
him to adjust, not be overwhelmed by a lot of
things that goes on in daily basis. But but right now,
(10:17):
he's swinging it back really well. He's starting to drive
the ball out of the ballpark. His two strike approach,
he's really good. So I expect him just to be
kind of moving and hitting somewhere in the middle line
up for the next couple of you know, the next
couple of weeks, and and if there's if there's need
to be changed to protect him, I'll do that, but
I'll make sure that I communicate that with him to
(10:38):
make sure that he understand what's what's the plan.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Skip Thanks for visitors, always will do it again again
next week. Good luck this week against the the Afhillies
and the couple. We appreciate the visit as always, all right,
thanks See that's the Joe spot up with us here
on Sports Talk seven on eighty
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