Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
But we're talking Astros with our good buddy Steve Sparks
right now, who joins us every single week right here
at this time on the show, and Sparky, me and
Gordy you have talked about a ton this morning. You
give up thirteen runs on Thursday, you give up only
one run on Friday, and when then you give up
sixteen on Saturday and no runs yesterday and you win
(00:22):
that one too. Have you ever seen a weirder series
in all of your playing years, broadcasting years, whatever it
might have been.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
You know, I don't think any Astros fan has seen that.
I had one of the media relations guys look it
up yesterday and minus won twenty one run differential in
a four game series has never taken pace a place
in Astros franchise history. The record was minus thirteen. So
(00:52):
by eight runs the Astros scored less runs or got
beat up by less runs in this four game set
and came away winners in two of them.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
That was pretty remarkable.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
No, no, for sure, But I mean, as I mentioned,
Thursday and Saturday not so great for the bullpen. Any
level of concern with you, like, do you feel like
that the innings are starting to rack up for those
guys or do you just feel like it was a
bad series.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
I don't think the innings are really racking that day,
and I think, you know, sometimes guys have bad games.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Is there a level of concern.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
There's always a level of concern when a guy does
it in back to back games. Brian King bounced back
yesterday from a tough one that he had a couple
of days before.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
But when a guy has a couple maybe three.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Just from past experience, just knowing that what that feels like. Man,
you get in a rut at a pitcher sometimes it's tough.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
To climb out of it, so you do get concerned.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
You're looking for ways and times to get them in
that game so you know they can.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Clear that hurdle like King did yesterday.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
But you know, sometimes you're not playing in lopsided games,
so you can't get them in there for a ten days,
and then that problem gets worse and worse.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Because they get rusty as well. So, man, it's such
a mind game.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
It's such a tough game when you don't have full
confidence to go out there and pitch it your best ability.
So we'll see, you know, if guys get an opportunity
to get in there and get on a little bit
of a role.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
We know what can happen against.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Steve Sparks joined us here on the Seawan Salisbury Show
for his weekly visits and Sparky. I mean, we talked
about the two bad games in this series, but the
two really good ones were because of your starters. Friday
Night Fromber Valdez, he was awesome. Yesterday seam deal with
Hunter Brown just unable to go nine innings like Fromber
did on Friday Night. But I mean, you know that
(02:45):
Friday game, I mean that had to be one again
that kind of feeds into this series just being so
weird of not only how good Fromber was, but how
quickly he.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Worked eighty three pitches, so that tied of Astros franchise
record at nine inning.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Game Fromber and Hunter Brown are legitimately.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
They're two aces, So they have two aces and they're
spread apart in their rotation right now, which is beautiful.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
You know.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Not to have them back to back allows you to
kind of catch your breath with the bullpen guys, and
for Joe a spot of being able to like kind
of put the gas pedal on one of those guys
in a particular outing to get a little deeper into
these games is great for what they need right now now, Lance.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
The way he's pitched the last couple of games looks like.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
They've legitimately got three guys who can go out there
and really pounce on some people fromer I think he
had in the era below two. In May, he was
perfect four to zero in his five games. I just
can't say enough about him. We know that you know
that things have gone sour every once in a while,
you know, maybe at inopportune times. But then when you
(03:53):
look at the total body of work for Farmer Valdez,
and when you watch him when he's really good, you
understand that he's a He's a matchup nightmare for anybody.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
He can tell you, and I saved his on the broadcast.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
By event, he can tell you any one of those
three pitches are coming, throw it in the strike zone
and still get weak contact or a swing and miss.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
And I don't think you can say.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
That about anybody else in baseball as far as three
pitches go.
Speaker 5 (04:18):
It's been a lot of fun to watch to watch
from Bert Hunter pitch this this season. Sparky, no doubt,
it's it's funny. Yesterday Jacob Melton makes his big league debut.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Gets the Monkey office back.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
We've seen that a lot with these guys who you know,
these hitters that remember Bragman didn't take like a couple
of weeks for him to get his first hit. It
seems like a lot of these guys they call up
and they get they get their first hit in their
first game or two. But the thing that stands out
to me, Sparky, is how many times in the last
two years or so, you guys have had to say
on the broadcast making his big league debut. This guy
(04:52):
called up making his big league debut, And it's just
been amazing.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
I know.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
That's why Dana was kind of brought in here to
be the GM, was to repool his farm sat and
get it back going. But man, it's just been amazing
how many rookies the Astros have had the last two
years plus, and yet all these guys seem to come
up and contribute and play a big role.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
I attribute some of that, Chris to the culture that
they have in the locker room.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Twenty five years ago.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
I mean, guys who were coming into the locker room
and you were expected to say absolutely nothing. You know,
you didn't really feel like you were part of the
team until year two, really, to be honest with you.
And I think it's a tribute to what the Astros
have been able to develop when they had guys like
Korea and Springer.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Coming up to the big leagues.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
I think that the Astros recognize that those guys were
going to help them win games very quickly. So to
be able to simulate and feel like they were part
of the team right away was going to be paramount
for the team to turn it around.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
So I think that culture has remained.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
So I think it's been ten years that the Astros
have welcome young guys into the clubhouse and said, all right,
let us help you. You know, we're all about winning here.
We don't care about this tenure or what you say
or what you don't say.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
We want you to help us win baseball games.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
And I think as soon as guys come to spring training,
you know, I think guys like Jacob Melton and camp
Smith feel like they're part of the team.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
Sparky as good as as good as Hunter Brown and
Fromber have been. We saw Lance take a you know,
a step further in his getting back into the groove.
Granted it was against the A's, but he pitched very
well with the twelve strikeouts. But I look at the
four and the five and Ryan Gusto and Colton Gordon
are doing everything they can. What is the It feels like,
(06:41):
you know, Colton Gordon at least every time out he's
given you five innings.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Why are they so quick to go grab Gusto?
Speaker 5 (06:47):
In your opinion, it feels like to me, I know
he was he was a starter, then he was bullpen
and he was back to the starter and felt like,
all right, they maybe it's an issue of having to
get his workload back up, But I mean, I look
at it, seventy nine pitches, eighty three pitches. Just feels
like in the fourth of the fifth they're ready to
go grab him and he's not getting those five complete
innings as of late. Is that just building back up
(07:09):
his workload or is that an issue of second third
time through the lineup and they want to just you know,
be precautionary. Why why is said they're not letting Gusto
kind of ride it a little bit longer.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
I think it kind of goes back a little bit
to what we were talking about with with Fromber and
Hunter Brown split up in their rotation, and I think
you feel really goods like if Gusco pitches the day
after Saint Hunter or the day after Fromer, you got
a loaded bullpen that next day after the CG or
he's gone seven or eight innings, and you feel like,
all right, if we can get to our leverage. Guys
(07:41):
probably thinking even beforehand, if I can get him four
or five innings here, then I can go to the
King and Hater and feel really good about knocking this
game out.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
So I think that's part of it.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
I think the other part is getting stretched back out
against really hard doing what Gusto's done so far this year.
I think he's pitched seven games the starter, six games
as a reliever, and it's hard to get into a routine,
so I think he's kind of a massage in that situation.
And the other thing is I think other teams the
more the more they get a chance to see you,
(08:14):
they're able to make adjustments.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
And if you use your eyes on occasion, you start
to see.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Guys maybe give up a few line drives the last
couple of innings before he comes out. Those are the
little red flags you're looking for as a manager or
a pitching coach to say, all right, we might want
to get somebody up.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
Talker Steve Sparks here on Sports Talks of Any and Sparky,
we got Dana Brown on Saturday to give an update
on your on Alvarez and kind of you know what's
going on there, and you know, we come to find
out that that they do a little imaging after that
inflammation goes down and there is a break in there
and Dana reveals that it's about sixty percent healed. But
(08:55):
by one breath, it is reassuring. Okay, now we know
what it is. We have a little bit of the
timeline here. We know, let him rest, let that thing heal,
and then you know, hopefully he'll be good to go.
But on the other side, Sparky, this is a second
straight year where it's been an issue of the Kyle Tucker.
Oh it's a bone bruise. It's a bone bruise. Oh wait,
there's a break in there. It just concerns you a
little bit.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
And I get it.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
Sometimes injuries are just they're hard to diagnose. But for
the fans out there, I think fans are just frustrated
because this is the second straight ear of one of
your star players missing significant period of time and oh,
it turns out there is a break in there.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Yeah, and I understand that, and I've seen this. I've
seen this for years.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
This is you know, sometimes those the small fractures just
don't show up on X rays or imaging because because
of cloudiness or whatever. It might be that they were
able to diagnose rag Getty's thumb break very quickly because
it was just in a spot where it wasn't as
cloudy and it was more clear, and they got on
it very quickly.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
But people have been going on on and.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
On about this forever. It's just sometimes is clear with
the inflammation. So I think the good news is right now, Chris,
and I understand the frustration is that the Ashers are.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Playing good ball.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
They played above five hundred without yord On last year.
I think they were fifteen games above five hundred without.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Tucker in the lineup.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
They've been able to keep their heads above waters when
they're waiting for these guys to get back.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
And I don't think it's going to take ord On
that long to get back. And you know, when you're
talking about that it looks.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Like because of the calcification that it looks like he's
healing pretty quickly. Then I don't think it's going to
be too much longer, And thank goodness, the.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Astros are still in the thick of things.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
But at the same time, I understand that it's frustrating,
and I'm sure it's frustrating for everybody involved when you
can't see things as clearly as you'd like to.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Again, Steve Sparks joins us for his weekly visit here
on The Sean Salisbury Show, hour three every single week,
And Sparky, I can't remember. Were you on the Pittsburgh
series last year when they faceball schemes?
Speaker 3 (11:01):
I was not okay, I remember, I remember.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
I remember watching some of the stuff that he was
doing in the you guys know about the water bags
and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Some of the crazy stuff.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Yeah, I've seen trying to switch around to one and
all that stuff. I remember Schiens doing that. I can't
remember if I was working that game or not, but
I know he pitchedway pitched six innings, gave up two
or one on run in that game against the Astros.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
But they've got their hands full tomorrow night.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Yeah, I mean and for you, I mean, you know
when you get to see a guy like him get
to go to work. I mean, is that add a
little bit of extra juice to the game for you?
Speaker 3 (11:37):
It does?
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Yeah, I look forward to it. I love watching great pitching.
You know that game yesterday TODs Bradley the race? How
could you not love that? Do you guys know the
story with Bradley what he was able to do the
last time he faced the Astros.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
The pitching coach introduced a new grip and a new pitch.
In between the first and second inning, after.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
He gave up a couple of runs to the Astros,
he introduced the new pitch to him, a one seam.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Fastball, and he dominated the Astros after that. And then
he goes yesterday.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Seven innings that no earn runs against the Astros with
that one seam fastball.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Again, so pretty crazy the Astros.
Speaker 6 (12:12):
You know, I had a couple of the coaches asking
yesterday on the plane ride to Pittsburgh, what was that
pitch that Bradley was going They were trying to figure
out what it was, and it was a one seam fastball.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
A lot of guys throw the two team fastball for sink,
but the one seam fastball doesn't have as much lateral movement,
and he learned it on the fly. It was pretty remarkable,
very talented, twenty four years old, and just like schemes,
he's just getting started.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
Interesting. I'm thankful for the new scheduling.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
I went up to see those guys again and goes man,
that the Rays were just a thorn on your side
this season.
Speaker 4 (12:45):
I'm good on not seeing.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
That Bradley again. Hey, I was looking yesterday.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
There were I think seven teams that had either thirty
or thirty one wins.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
In the American League.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Seven teams, and you start thinking about these series in
late May and in early.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
June, thinking that it didn't matter too much. It's so
early in the season. Man, There's going to be.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Crazy tiebreakers by the time we get to the end
of this thing because of how close everybody's gonna be
bunched at the end of this thing.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
I think for sure, hopefully the Astro is one of
those teams on the right side of the tiebreaker. But
we're always on the right side whenever we talk with
this guy, because he is Steve Sparsany joins us here
on the Sean Salisbury Show, Sparky, appreciate the time, Buddy.
Is there a Primanny Brothers trip in this one? Primanny
Brothers overrated, properly rated. What do you think of sandwiches
(13:32):
with fries on them?
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Well, my son he lives in Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
He flew in yesterday, so he met me on this
trip and that's number one on the box. We're also
going to go to the Roberto Clemente Museum in about
forty five minutes, so we're gonna get a little private
tour with Joe spot On some of the other coaches
and staff.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
So my son and I are going to go on that.
That's an unbelievable trip.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
If you ever go to Pittsburgh, the Roberto Clemente Museums
is my favorite I've ever been to. So it's gonna
be a fun.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Weekend or a fun fun a few days here with
my son.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
No, that's awesome, man, We'll go enjoy that.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Hey.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
We appreciate your time every single week with us and
great stuff as always
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Thanks Dan, see Gordy