September 23, 2025 • 10 mins
Joe Espada Talks Series Lost & The Last 6 Games Of The Season
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We always look forward to talking with the manager of
your Houston Astros, and we'll do that again right now. Sacramento,
California the site for a three game series with the A's,
then a quick trip to La for to three against Anaheimer's,
and then hopefully a nice postseason run. Joe Aspota with
us here on the show Skip. Good morning, How are things?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah, good morning, guys, Things are well here in Sacramento.
Like you mentioned, it comes down to this week right here,
a very important week for us.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Man, it is important, and I brought up this parallel
and I don't know how you treat it. You if
you play twenty six weeks, in twenty five of those
weeks this year have been this team is overachieved. It's
had so many injuries, You've had so many different lineups,
so many guys overperforming, so many guys underperforming, and then
it's a wonderful story. The Astros have been a competitive
(00:50):
and now it's in your hands. I know you got
to worry about some scoreboard watching, and I know you
hate doing that, but realistically, you guys go five and
one this week, you're going the postseason. I mean, I
hate to dumb it down, but does that kind of
have the feeling in your mind as well? Just win
and for everybody else.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Yeah, you know, it's I think destiny if it's still
in our hands, we we decide our future and how
we treat the next the next week. It's it's crucial.
And we have been in this position before. I've been
here long enough where we entering the last week of
the season down a game and a half, two games
(01:27):
out being you know, from the division, like, we have
been in this position before. So this is not new
for us. It's how we handle business today on the
baseball field, how we play our game, not letting Uh,
these past series, you know, affect our focus and our preparation.
None of that. I think it's in the past. Today
(01:49):
is a new day. Uh, it's a brand new week,
and we have to take the field and and fight.
This is a dough fight. And you know, don't count
this team out. I hear and I eat stuff where
people think that we out. We're not out. We were
very much in this fight.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Joe, What was the hardest part about that Seattle series?
Was it that Seattle just came in super hot and
you just nothing you could do to stop them. Was
it missed opportunities on your part a combination of both,
because look, we knew Seattle was good coming in, but
they really had a successful weekend on your ballpark.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yeah, yeah they did. And you know we knew coming
in that they have made some changes to the roster,
that acquired some players that have been playing some really
good ball and and they out they out played us,
and you know, we we had some opportunities. Uh, we
didn't play our best. In credit to you know, Seattle,
they they they they beat us, but it's it's in
(02:44):
the past. We have six very important games. There's gonna
be you know a lot of folks, uh, you know,
watching the school boards and and and we you know,
we all it's gonna be fun. I'm really looking forward
to this week because this is what you play for,
and this is what the team is built for. And
I'm looking forward to with you.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Had to make a late scratch on Sunday for Jeremy
Panya did not play. Can you update the folks on
how he's doing right now?
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah, So we are going I'm going to get to
the ballpark here early and and we're going to see
how we how he feels. He got some treatment yesterday
it went well, but for me to make to put
him in the lineup, I have to see how he
feels in the next hour or two with that.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Keeping on the injury front, well not injured, because eshoch
Pretis did play for you this weekend. How'd you feel
about the way he looked obviously had the big home run,
how he's moving and and potentially playing him in the field,
is that on the table.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
You know, playment on the field. It's we I don't
think we're still quite there yet. He is, he's moving, Okay.
For me, it's more can he react and you know
that quick first step playing third base, charging on a
slow roller. You know, we not quite there yet. And
(04:04):
it's just more how he feels mentally, trusting his leg
to make that kind of push and move. But he is,
you know, he's feeling. He's feeling good for now. The
planet is continue to d h him and and we
need his bat, we need his offense, uh to continue
to be as good as he's been all year.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Astros manager Jos Bottle was here on Sports Talk seven
nine a year got the series here in Sacramento. We
know that the ball can fly out there. Is there
anything you tell your hitters or pitchers should do anything
differently or do you just try to keep everything the same?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Yeah, I know we're keeping things the same. We can
you know, you got to pitch to do We want
to pitch to our strength. Uh, you know, exploit the
hitters weaknesses as as a hitting club. We you know,
we we we have an approach that we have to
carry out. We we got to get on base. We
really not need to score early and set the tone
from the very beginning. And we know that this could
(05:01):
be a high scoring series. You know they you cannot
score enough runts here in Sacramento. We knew that the
last time we came here, and and we we understand
the importance of us playing our best. And you know again,
I'm really looking forward to see how our boys, uh
go out there and get this last push in the
last week of the season.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
I always think, Joe, that managers in baseball when it
comes to playoffs have to manage differently. You don't give
the least to the starting pitcher as much as you would.
Maybe you make a change in your lineup, you move
guys around a couple of different spots. Will you find
yourself this week doing a little more of that, because,
let's face it, this is the facto playoff time, even
though there's still six games left to go in the
(05:42):
regular season.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yes, this is you know, we we got to treat
this week like like like the playoffs. We we have
to we have to attack and stay on the offensive
from the very beginning. And I gotta treat game as
you know, do or die, do or die game like
we have to play well from We have to do
(06:06):
our best win all six games, right, so you know
how we play and how I manage it's it's it's
just it's playoffs, so things might look different. I might
do something differently just because it's all hands on down.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Lineups change all the time in the middle of July
and August, that just happens. Do you anticipate keeping it
in pen this week or do you think there'll be
some fluctuation with these lineups depending on who you're pitching
and how guys are doing or what do you what
do you? What do you think putting your crystal ball
out about what you think you're going to be putting
on that lineup card for the next week or so?
Speaker 2 (06:41):
You know, we we have some guys that are they're
going to be hitting in their in their spots. You know,
we have guys that are are are there, get pay
a lot of money to get on base and to
drive people in. This is that's what we we. We
have them in the lineup, and we lean on those guys,
and we believe in those guys and that trust because
they they've done it for a very long time. So
(07:03):
changing things around and trying to get all different and
towards a last him that's not the way the way
it goes, you know, But doing things differently, maybe running
a little bit more, maybe you know, maybe we got
to get guys over early in the game, trying to
get an extra run. Things like that I think are
are needed. But we just need to trust our guys
(07:25):
and and and let them do their thing and and
hopefully we know we can we can score a ton
of runs and and go he on on a nice
in a nice run.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
I know, Joe, this will be update for a couple
of days, but I know that Jordan will not be
available for you at least you're an anticipating and available
for the A series. What do you know at this point? Again,
things could change on the daily here about Jordan and
about maybe trying to get him in at some point
in the Anaheim Series if he's available to do so.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Yeah, it'd be great, it'd be great. I know he's
feeling better every day. It'd be great if we could
get him on the field. But this is you know,
this is a day by day thing. See how he feels,
and we continue to monitor his progress. But we have
to do it. You know, he's not here right now.
We have to do it without him, and and I
(08:11):
know that we have the guys here in place to
get this done.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
I don't want to go macro too much because we
got six games in front, but the season as a whole,
one of your starting pitchers from Berr gave you double
digit quality starts in a row. But the last two
months have just he's been a different kind of player.
What what not necessarily what happened? But where is that
guy that we saw in April May that was giving
you seven innings with his eyes closed?
Speaker 2 (08:37):
He's still there. I think he has he has struggle
commanding and and his pitches and finishing hitters off, but
I know, I know he's still there. And one thing
I do know that he's got one more big starts
to h come in here in the next few days,
and we need that guy to show up. And I
(08:57):
know he's very capable of doing that. I know he
wants to do it, and we have to prepare them
to give us the best start, the best start of
the season, right when we when we need it, which
is right now.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Well, one of the silver linings over the weekend, very
good performance by your bullpen. Only had to use Brian
to bray you once. Uh, you're feeling pretty good about
the guys you got back there. If you can get
those starts that you need, good starts that you need
to follow up with a bullpen.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Yeah, yeah, they're they're rested, and you know, we score early,
and our starters give us a good five six innings
and we can hand the ball to our bullpen who's
done a really nice job. Will be will be great.
That's the strategy. But it you know, starts with us
setting the tone early, scoring some early runs and and
putting the pressure on our opponents. Uh. We cannot you know,
(09:44):
wait around and and and wait to the last innings.
You know, if we get out, uh, swing to the bat, well,
get some people on base, get some hit with many
scoring position. Give give our starter something to relax on
or just to be comfortable on. That would be That
would be great.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Joe, thank you for the weekly visits. We hope they
do not end today. Hope that you and I and
we're visiting again next week prior to the wild Card Series.
We really appreciate it, and good luck this week in Sacramento,
Anaheim by Fellas.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Thank you, you got it.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Joe spotted with us here on Sports Talk seven ninety
We always look forward to talking with the manager of
your Houston Astros, and we'll do that again right now. Sacramento,
California the site for a three game series with the A's,
then a quick trip to La for to three against Anaheimer's,
and then hopefully a nice postseason run. Joe Aspota with
us here on the show Skip. Good morning, How are things?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah, good morning, guys, Things are well here in Sacramento.
Like you mentioned, it comes down to this week right here,
a very important week for us.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Man, it is important, and I brought up this parallel
and I don't know how you treat it. You if
you play twenty six weeks, in twenty five of those
weeks this year have been this team is overachieved. It's
had so many injuries, You've had so many different lineups,
so many guys overperforming, so many guys underperforming, and then
it's a wonderful story. The Astros have been a competitive
(00:50):
and now it's in your hands. I know you got
to worry about some scoreboard watching, and I know you
hate doing that, but realistically, you guys go five and
one this week, you're going the postseason. I mean, I
hate to dumb it down, but does that kind of
have the feeling in your mind as well? Just win
and for everybody else.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Yeah, you know, it's I think destiny if it's still
in our hands, we we decide our future and how
we treat the next the next week. It's it's crucial.
And we have been in this position before. I've been
here long enough where we entering the last week of
the season down a game and a half, two games
(01:27):
out being you know, from the division, like, we have
been in this position before. So this is not new
for us. It's how we handle business today on the
baseball field, how we play our game, not letting Uh,
these past series, you know, affect our focus and our preparation.
None of that. I think it's in the past. Today
(01:49):
is a new day. Uh, it's a brand new week,
and we have to take the field and and fight.
This is a dough fight. And you know, don't count
this team out. I hear and I eat stuff where
people think that we out. We're not out. We were
very much in this fight.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Joe, What was the hardest part about that Seattle series?
Was it that Seattle just came in super hot and
you just nothing you could do to stop them. Was
it missed opportunities on your part a combination of both,
because look, we knew Seattle was good coming in, but
they really had a successful weekend on your ballpark.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yeah, yeah they did. And you know we knew coming
in that they have made some changes to the roster,
that acquired some players that have been playing some really
good ball and and they out they out played us,
and you know, we we had some opportunities. Uh, we
didn't play our best. In credit to you know, Seattle,
they they they they beat us, but it's it's in
(02:44):
the past. We have six very important games. There's gonna
be you know a lot of folks, uh, you know,
watching the school boards and and and we you know,
we all it's gonna be fun. I'm really looking forward
to this week because this is what you play for,
and this is what the team is built for. And
I'm looking forward to with you.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Had to make a late scratch on Sunday for Jeremy
Panya did not play. Can you update the folks on
how he's doing right now?
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah, So we are going I'm going to get to
the ballpark here early and and we're going to see
how we how he feels. He got some treatment yesterday
it went well, but for me to make to put
him in the lineup, I have to see how he
feels in the next hour or two with that.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Keeping on the injury front, well not injured, because eshoch
Pretis did play for you this weekend. How'd you feel
about the way he looked obviously had the big home run,
how he's moving and and potentially playing him in the field,
is that on the table.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
You know, playment on the field. It's we I don't
think we're still quite there yet. He is, he's moving, Okay.
For me, it's more can he react and you know
that quick first step playing third base, charging on a
slow roller. You know, we not quite there yet. And
(04:04):
it's just more how he feels mentally, trusting his leg
to make that kind of push and move. But he is,
you know, he's feeling. He's feeling good for now. The
planet is continue to d h him and and we
need his bat, we need his offense, uh to continue
to be as good as he's been all year.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Astros manager Jos Bottle was here on Sports Talk seven
nine a year got the series here in Sacramento. We
know that the ball can fly out there. Is there
anything you tell your hitters or pitchers should do anything
differently or do you just try to keep everything the same?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Yeah, I know we're keeping things the same. We can
you know, you got to pitch to do We want
to pitch to our strength. Uh, you know, exploit the
hitters weaknesses as as a hitting club. We you know,
we we we have an approach that we have to
carry out. We we got to get on base. We
really not need to score early and set the tone
from the very beginning. And we know that this could
(05:01):
be a high scoring series. You know they you cannot
score enough runts here in Sacramento. We knew that the
last time we came here, and and we we understand
the importance of us playing our best. And you know again,
I'm really looking forward to see how our boys, uh
go out there and get this last push in the
last week of the season.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
I always think, Joe, that managers in baseball when it
comes to playoffs have to manage differently. You don't give
the least to the starting pitcher as much as you would.
Maybe you make a change in your lineup, you move
guys around a couple of different spots. Will you find
yourself this week doing a little more of that, because,
let's face it, this is the facto playoff time, even
though there's still six games left to go in the
(05:42):
regular season.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yes, this is you know, we we got to treat
this week like like like the playoffs. We we have
to we have to attack and stay on the offensive
from the very beginning. And I gotta treat game as
you know, do or die, do or die game like
we have to play well from We have to do
(06:06):
our best win all six games, right, so you know
how we play and how I manage it's it's it's
just it's playoffs, so things might look different. I might
do something differently just because it's all hands on down.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Lineups change all the time in the middle of July
and August, that just happens. Do you anticipate keeping it
in pen this week or do you think there'll be
some fluctuation with these lineups depending on who you're pitching
and how guys are doing or what do you what
do you? What do you think putting your crystal ball
out about what you think you're going to be putting
on that lineup card for the next week or so?
Speaker 2 (06:41):
You know, we we have some guys that are they're
going to be hitting in their in their spots. You know,
we have guys that are are are there, get pay
a lot of money to get on base and to
drive people in. This is that's what we we. We
have them in the lineup, and we lean on those guys,
and we believe in those guys and that trust because
they they've done it for a very long time. So
(07:03):
changing things around and trying to get all different and
towards a last him that's not the way the way
it goes, you know, But doing things differently, maybe running
a little bit more, maybe you know, maybe we got
to get guys over early in the game, trying to
get an extra run. Things like that I think are
are needed. But we just need to trust our guys
(07:25):
and and and let them do their thing and and
hopefully we know we can we can score a ton
of runs and and go he on on a nice
in a nice run.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
I know, Joe, this will be update for a couple
of days, but I know that Jordan will not be
available for you at least you're an anticipating and available
for the A series. What do you know at this point? Again,
things could change on the daily here about Jordan and
about maybe trying to get him in at some point
in the Anaheim Series if he's available to do so.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Yeah, it'd be great, it'd be great. I know he's
feeling better every day. It'd be great if we could
get him on the field. But this is you know,
this is a day by day thing. See how he feels,
and we continue to monitor his progress. But we have
to do it. You know, he's not here right now.
We have to do it without him, and and I
(08:11):
know that we have the guys here in place to
get this done.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
I don't want to go macro too much because we
got six games in front, but the season as a whole,
one of your starting pitchers from Berr gave you double
digit quality starts in a row. But the last two
months have just he's been a different kind of player.
What what not necessarily what happened? But where is that
guy that we saw in April May that was giving
you seven innings with his eyes closed?
Speaker 2 (08:37):
He's still there. I think he has he has struggle
commanding and and his pitches and finishing hitters off, but
I know, I know he's still there. And one thing
I do know that he's got one more big starts
to h come in here in the next few days,
and we need that guy to show up. And I
(08:57):
know he's very capable of doing that. I know he
wants to do it, and we have to prepare them
to give us the best start, the best start of
the season, right when we when we need it, which
is right now.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Well, one of the silver linings over the weekend, very
good performance by your bullpen. Only had to use Brian
to bray you once. Uh, you're feeling pretty good about
the guys you got back there. If you can get
those starts that you need, good starts that you need
to follow up with a bullpen.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Yeah, yeah, they're they're rested, and you know, we score early,
and our starters give us a good five six innings
and we can hand the ball to our bullpen who's
done a really nice job. Will be will be great.
That's the strategy. But it you know, starts with us
setting the tone early, scoring some early runs and and
putting the pressure on our opponents. Uh. We cannot you know,
(09:44):
wait around and and and wait to the last innings.
You know, if we get out, uh, swing to the bat, well,
get some people on base, get some hit with many
scoring position. Give give our starter something to relax on
or just to be comfortable on. That would be That
would be great.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Joe, thank you for the weekly visits. We hope they
do not end today. Hope that you and I and
we're visiting again next week prior to the wild Card Series.
We really appreciate it, and good luck this week in Sacramento,
Anaheim by Fellas.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Thank you, you got it.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Joe spotted with us here on Sports Talk seven ninety
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