May 13, 2026 • 9 mins
Joe Espada Talks Tatsyua Imai & Astros Lack of Consistency
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Very fortunate to get The manager of the Houston Astros,
Joe a spotted joining us for ten minutes here on
the radio program Skiff.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
It's Matt and Ross. Good afternoon.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
I don't ask you a lot about what your postgame
conversations are like with your starting pitchers, especially when they
don't perform well. But yesterday was obviously a meaningful performance
to get em my back on track.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Can you give us a few little tidbits of what
that visit was like?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
And you know how he's feeling, knowing that he did
not go down to the minor leagues and probably get
the kind of success that he wanted to before his
start last night.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Well, the visit will happen today. We will not happen
like the night of the start, especially when the outcome
the way he was. But I'll have a conversation with
him today. You know, I thought there were some flashes
of some good stuff that happened prior to that fourth inning,
(00:52):
and I'm going to, you know, make sure that he's
aware of the good things he did in some areas
that we need to can ta doing proof. I thought
he slider was was inconsistent, which I think that that's
an area that that we need to we need to
address and also you know, maybe using uh you know,
(01:13):
I know he wanted to use his fastball slider yesterday,
but I think he's changing up. It's a it's a
it's a good pitch, especially when you have seven lefties
in a lineup. So there's a conversation I have with
I will have with him today and hopefully his next
one will be will be better.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
I know that you talked before the game about maybe
just focusing on one or two pitches and getting those
over the plate and throwing strikes right. That isn't a
long term, but I would think for a guy who
was just trying to get back on a major league bump,
that you know, you want to take those small steps
when you can.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Yeah, absolutely, you know he did. There is some there
was there were some things that he did he did
really well, you know, but for the long term, right
for for the duration of the season, for him to
be successful in this in this level, you know, he
needs all his repertoire to be a to mix them,
just like the way he did in Japan, throwing different counts,
(02:04):
different you know, uh different Velo. He's got to He's
got to be able to mix all his pitches and
there's a composition that will have with him today before
you know he's next start.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
What has it been like for you navigating this scenario,
because obviously organizationally come a player coming over from Japan
and you're hoping that he's gonna acclimate.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
He's talked about having issues with that.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Then unfortunately the arm and then you kind of dealing
with it, and unfortunately you'd love to be in a
situation where you didn't need have a high level of
pressure on him to perform, but because of the injuries
in the way that the team is going right now,
it feels like there's some extra pressure as well.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
You know, you never there's never a perfect scenario when
you go into a baseball season. There's all these there.
You you plan a plan B, Plan C, and and
and you try to do the best you can to
trying to help every individual in this room. Right, there's
no perfect scenarios never in this game. You know, we
(03:04):
we got to help him. We got to continue to
have conversation with him and help him. I climate, right,
I think we I think he's in a better spot
when he comes to acclamation and feeling more more like
part of the team. I think we are over that.
That step over that hurdle now is you know, getting
him to believe that his stuff is good enough to
(03:25):
compete at the major league level. There is, you know,
I feel like there's enough that he gives some of
these hitters too much credit where he should be giving
himself credit to be performing at the major league Like you,
he's good enough to come here. He earned that contract, right,
he pitched to that level where he consider good enough
(03:48):
to pitch in this level, and he needs to start
believing in and that instead of hitters in the major
league level do X, Y and Z. No, it's just
you good enough to compete in this level and get
people out. That's that's the next hurdle what we need
to help them overcome, where hey, believing yourself, trust your
stuff and we have your back.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Ashows manager Joe spot up with us here on Sports
Talk seven to ninety. Offense hasn't been what you wanted either.
In the last several games, you have run up against
some really good pitching as well. But what are you
seeing from your guys at the plate?
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Yeah, we we have ran into some really good pitching
that's that's for sure. But you know, the first day
we had Kirby, you know, ninety pitches through five. Right
yesterday we have Wu on the ropes, on the ropes
and we had some call of your bats. We tie
the game up before big game guy, kind of out
of hand. The quality of bats have been good. We
(04:46):
got some production from the bottomwoard order yesterday, some marks
double by descent, so Shoe may getting some big hits
for us. So we need we knew that going into this.
You know, the way are often started, there's always the
op and downs, right put the quality of the best.
We're starting to see pitches again, Altua is starting to
get hot again. Parade is starting to swing the bat well.
(05:08):
So they're things you know, under the hood in our offense,
you know, which which he's always you know, part of
the season. But I'm sure that you know, once we
get going here and we continue to put good at
bats together, we'll we'll you know, I really want us
to score first. That's something that we've been preaching our guys.
You know, we score first, kind of getting the moment
(05:29):
on our side. That's something that we've been talking about
here lately. So that's that's an aerial emphasis for our offense.
Right now.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
There is a term wearing the way of the world
on your shoulders, and you've got probably different guys doing
it in different reasons. Jordan Alvarez is the guy that
had the first month and a half. It was crazy.
He struggled the month of May. Then you got a
guy like Cam Smith who knows you don't have a
lot of outfield depth because of the injury, and you're
putting him out there in right field and he's doing
the best he can from a defensive standpoint for sure,
(05:57):
but the numbers just aren't.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Haven't been good for him. Give me what they're feeling.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
And again, I can go to those guys directly, but
sometimes they're going to give you the generic answer of Hey,
I'm gonna work out of this.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
I want you.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
From a baseball perspective that knows those guys better than
we do, what's Jordin kind of thinking right now?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
What's Campsmith feeling right now?
Speaker 3 (06:17):
You know? So you're done? You're done? Is the same
guy every single day. He knows what his capabilities are
and he knows he'll get out of this. Right It's
it's more, it's more helping the younger players, trying to
establish himself. Right, how can I get out of this
without without showing you know, panic? Oh, you know right.
(06:41):
They try to be in front of their manager I
got this, or I've got you know, but a deep
like deep inside I know within when they're struggling mentally
or when they need a break. This guy's work their
tails off. All these young players. They're trying. Bryce Matthews
the sense of cole this guy's the one to do well.
My job just to make sure that you might need
(07:02):
a break today so we can get you back on track.
Just don't don't grab it back today, you know right,
don't go don't go out and do outfield er. Just
take a day to reset and get you back. And
that's where I do most of my work and my
coaches is go take the polls, see how this kid
is doing. Because it's not the lack of work. It's
(07:23):
just a tough league. It's a tough league to perform,
and especially when you don't have a ton of experience
in the monor leagues, like somebody I can't smith when
he played a ton in the mono leagues. So development
still continues at the major league level, and same thing
you could say from all of these young hitters that
we are here that year because of injuries probably you
know a little bit here, a little bit too quick,
but they're here. We're going to help them, you know,
(07:44):
get through this.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Last question for you, Lance mc colors.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I know the nail issue was not something that he
wanted to have go through last his last appearance.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
How is a nail feeling?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
What has he told you will then hamper the type
of pitch election he might throw them in his next appearance.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
You're coming up.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
No, No, the neil and the nail, it's it fits Bullpen.
A few days ago he looked good. I don't think
the nail should be an issue based on what we've
seen the last couple of days. And we need a
good outing from him. We actually, you know, we need
him to take us deep in the game and and
(08:20):
give us a boost and and you know we we
have a chance. You know, we we take today, we
could you know, take tomorrow's game and uh, you know,
go go out of this series with you know, uh,
you know to too and and and and just go
from there. But you know, it's it's important for Lance
to go out there, and and and give us a
good outing, and and hopefully we could get the back
(08:41):
of our bullpen who's been pretty good. To give him
the ball with the lead.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
And if he could throws six innings of two hit ball,
then he the official manicure should get a bonus from
the organization. I don't even know if you've got a manicurist,
but you made me need one. I don't know, it
sounds we're bizarre.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Yeah, thanks, whatever it takes, well, it's whatever, whatever it takes.
You know we need. Yeah, you need that good outing
from him.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
You need something. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Hey, Skip, thanks for squeezing some time with us for
this after. We really appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
All right, fellas, you got it. Anything
Very fortunate to get The manager of the Houston Astros,
Joe a spotted joining us for ten minutes here on
the radio program Skiff.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
It's Matt and Ross. Good afternoon.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
I don't ask you a lot about what your postgame
conversations are like with your starting pitchers, especially when they
don't perform well. But yesterday was obviously a meaningful performance
to get em my back on track.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Can you give us a few little tidbits of what
that visit was like?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
And you know how he's feeling, knowing that he did
not go down to the minor leagues and probably get
the kind of success that he wanted to before his
start last night.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Well, the visit will happen today. We will not happen
like the night of the start, especially when the outcome
the way he was. But I'll have a conversation with
him today. You know, I thought there were some flashes
of some good stuff that happened prior to that fourth inning,
(00:52):
and I'm going to, you know, make sure that he's
aware of the good things he did in some areas
that we need to can ta doing proof. I thought
he slider was was inconsistent, which I think that that's
an area that that we need to we need to
address and also you know, maybe using uh you know,
(01:13):
I know he wanted to use his fastball slider yesterday,
but I think he's changing up. It's a it's a
it's a good pitch, especially when you have seven lefties
in a lineup. So there's a conversation I have with
I will have with him today and hopefully his next
one will be will be better.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
I know that you talked before the game about maybe
just focusing on one or two pitches and getting those
over the plate and throwing strikes right. That isn't a
long term, but I would think for a guy who
was just trying to get back on a major league bump,
that you know, you want to take those small steps
when you can.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Yeah, absolutely, you know he did. There is some there
was there were some things that he did he did
really well, you know, but for the long term, right
for for the duration of the season, for him to
be successful in this in this level, you know, he
needs all his repertoire to be a to mix them,
just like the way he did in Japan, throwing different counts,
(02:04):
different you know, uh different Velo. He's got to He's
got to be able to mix all his pitches and
there's a composition that will have with him today before
you know he's next start.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
What has it been like for you navigating this scenario,
because obviously organizationally come a player coming over from Japan
and you're hoping that he's gonna acclimate.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
He's talked about having issues with that.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Then unfortunately the arm and then you kind of dealing
with it, and unfortunately you'd love to be in a
situation where you didn't need have a high level of
pressure on him to perform, but because of the injuries
in the way that the team is going right now,
it feels like there's some extra pressure as well.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
You know, you never there's never a perfect scenario when
you go into a baseball season. There's all these there.
You you plan a plan B, Plan C, and and
and you try to do the best you can to
trying to help every individual in this room. Right, there's
no perfect scenarios never in this game. You know, we
(03:04):
we got to help him. We got to continue to
have conversation with him and help him. I climate, right,
I think we I think he's in a better spot
when he comes to acclamation and feeling more more like
part of the team. I think we are over that.
That step over that hurdle now is you know, getting
him to believe that his stuff is good enough to
(03:25):
compete at the major league level. There is, you know,
I feel like there's enough that he gives some of
these hitters too much credit where he should be giving
himself credit to be performing at the major league Like you,
he's good enough to come here. He earned that contract, right,
he pitched to that level where he consider good enough
(03:48):
to pitch in this level, and he needs to start
believing in and that instead of hitters in the major
league level do X, Y and Z. No, it's just
you good enough to compete in this level and get
people out. That's that's the next hurdle what we need
to help them overcome, where hey, believing yourself, trust your
stuff and we have your back.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Ashows manager Joe spot up with us here on Sports
Talk seven to ninety. Offense hasn't been what you wanted either.
In the last several games, you have run up against
some really good pitching as well. But what are you
seeing from your guys at the plate?
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Yeah, we we have ran into some really good pitching
that's that's for sure. But you know, the first day
we had Kirby, you know, ninety pitches through five. Right
yesterday we have Wu on the ropes, on the ropes
and we had some call of your bats. We tie
the game up before big game guy, kind of out
of hand. The quality of bats have been good. We
(04:46):
got some production from the bottomwoard order yesterday, some marks
double by descent, so Shoe may getting some big hits
for us. So we need we knew that going into this.
You know, the way are often started, there's always the
op and downs, right put the quality of the best.
We're starting to see pitches again, Altua is starting to
get hot again. Parade is starting to swing the bat well.
(05:08):
So they're things you know, under the hood in our offense,
you know, which which he's always you know, part of
the season. But I'm sure that you know, once we
get going here and we continue to put good at
bats together, we'll we'll you know, I really want us
to score first. That's something that we've been preaching our guys.
You know, we score first, kind of getting the moment
(05:29):
on our side. That's something that we've been talking about
here lately. So that's that's an aerial emphasis for our offense.
Right now.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
There is a term wearing the way of the world
on your shoulders, and you've got probably different guys doing
it in different reasons. Jordan Alvarez is the guy that
had the first month and a half. It was crazy.
He struggled the month of May. Then you got a
guy like Cam Smith who knows you don't have a
lot of outfield depth because of the injury, and you're
putting him out there in right field and he's doing
the best he can from a defensive standpoint for sure,
(05:57):
but the numbers just aren't.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Haven't been good for him. Give me what they're feeling.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
And again, I can go to those guys directly, but
sometimes they're going to give you the generic answer of Hey,
I'm gonna work out of this.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
I want you.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
From a baseball perspective that knows those guys better than
we do, what's Jordin kind of thinking right now?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
What's Campsmith feeling right now?
Speaker 3 (06:17):
You know? So you're done? You're done? Is the same
guy every single day. He knows what his capabilities are
and he knows he'll get out of this. Right It's
it's more, it's more helping the younger players, trying to
establish himself. Right, how can I get out of this
without without showing you know, panic? Oh, you know right.
(06:41):
They try to be in front of their manager I
got this, or I've got you know, but a deep
like deep inside I know within when they're struggling mentally
or when they need a break. This guy's work their
tails off. All these young players. They're trying. Bryce Matthews
the sense of cole this guy's the one to do well.
My job just to make sure that you might need
(07:02):
a break today so we can get you back on track.
Just don't don't grab it back today, you know right,
don't go don't go out and do outfield er. Just
take a day to reset and get you back. And
that's where I do most of my work and my
coaches is go take the polls, see how this kid
is doing. Because it's not the lack of work. It's
(07:23):
just a tough league. It's a tough league to perform,
and especially when you don't have a ton of experience
in the monor leagues, like somebody I can't smith when
he played a ton in the mono leagues. So development
still continues at the major league level, and same thing
you could say from all of these young hitters that
we are here that year because of injuries probably you
know a little bit here, a little bit too quick,
but they're here. We're going to help them, you know,
(07:44):
get through this.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Last question for you, Lance mc colors.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I know the nail issue was not something that he
wanted to have go through last his last appearance.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
How is a nail feeling?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
What has he told you will then hamper the type
of pitch election he might throw them in his next appearance.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
You're coming up.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
No, No, the neil and the nail, it's it fits Bullpen.
A few days ago he looked good. I don't think
the nail should be an issue based on what we've
seen the last couple of days. And we need a
good outing from him. We actually, you know, we need
him to take us deep in the game and and
(08:20):
give us a boost and and you know we we
have a chance. You know, we we take today, we
could you know, take tomorrow's game and uh, you know,
go go out of this series with you know, uh,
you know to too and and and and just go
from there. But you know, it's it's important for Lance
to go out there, and and and give us a
good outing, and and hopefully we could get the back
(08:41):
of our bullpen who's been pretty good. To give him
the ball with the lead.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
And if he could throws six innings of two hit ball,
then he the official manicure should get a bonus from
the organization. I don't even know if you've got a manicurist,
but you made me need one. I don't know, it
sounds we're bizarre.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Yeah, thanks, whatever it takes, well, it's whatever, whatever it takes.
You know we need. Yeah, you need that good outing
from him.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
You need something. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Hey, Skip, thanks for squeezing some time with us for
this after. We really appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
All right, fellas, you got it. Anything
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