The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Astros Bats still cant find a groove?? Astros' Joe Espada & Hayden Wesneski Join the Show

Episode Date: April 16, 2025

Astros Bats still cant find a groove?? Astros' Joe Espada & Hayden Wesneski Join the Show

But yes, it was the sounds of silence for the majority of the game off the bats of the Uson Astros. They lose 8 to 3 to the Cardinals in the series opener yesterday. And that's one of the things we're going to be talking about on the program here with you until 2 o'clock. Hello, Ross v. Ria with you again. Matt Thomas out sick. I hope he's okay. Has he been hospitalized? What's the latest on Matt Thomas's well-being?

Well, he posted on Facebook. Oh, well, naturally, of course. at least he's posting on Facebook. He's doing okay. His wife got him a home IV. Home IV? She's taking care of him. That sounds serious.

Yeah, I mean, he's well enough to still post stuff on social media. That's true. That's good. He said his fever still is not broken. My goodness. All right. Well, Matt Tom is still sick. I woke up stuffy with a sore throat.

So we'll see how far I can make it through this show. It could be the Chris Gordy show by the end of this Gordy, so I hope you're ready for that. You'll stay away from me, man. Yeah, I know. I don't know what's going on. Something's going around. The allergies, when that pollen and all that crap, so it's getting in the air.

The other day when I got my car, it was a fine tint of yellow all over the car. Yeah, it feels like it came like two or three times this year, too. Yeah. I don't even know what's going on out there. I got bumble bees all over outside my house. Yeah. You know, it's spring.

Birds and bees are having sex with each other. At least that's my understanding. Where are the showers? Dard, April showers bring May flowers. Aren't we supposed to get in a lot of rain? I don't know. No, maybe not this year. I'm not sure what's going on out there.

But hopefully Matt Thomas gets rested up and he's ready for you folks tomorrow. But he is out. So Chris Gordy is hanging out again. Thank you for that. It was a lock, by the way. The Asteros would lose last night. Do you know why? Because Framber Valdez was pitching?

No. Rambra's okay. I'm just kidding. Sunday Gray is very good. The Astros. What did I tell you yesterday? Oh, they don't win two in a row. They have not won back-to-back games all year long.

So when they won on Sunday, you just had a feel, and they were going to lose. Today. Now, if they win tomorrow, if they win tonight, lock it in. They will lose tomorrow. No, I'm not locking it in. Because if I want them to win the American League West, at some point, they're going to have to win two or a row? Maybe sweep a series? I don't know. That'd be cool. Well, I understand this from two different perspectives. From an Astros fan perspective, yes, you are right. I'm talking from a simple betting perspective. If you are a bettor, the Astros have not won two games in a row yet. Well, I'm saying that they're due to win two games in a row. Well, thankfully, look, Framber has been up and down so far this season. I mean, you're talking about how the Astros haven't won two in a row. Framer hasn't pitched two good games in a row.

He started off with that brilliant start against the Mets, seven innings of shutout ball. Then he got touched up by the Giants. He actually kind of settled in into that start, but still gave up five runs. Then he was spectacular against Seattle. And then yesterday, he has one of his worst starts in his career, gave up more extra base hits than he ever had. has four innings pitch, 10, count them 10 hits, six earned runs, only three strikeouts. Balance of the season, 450 ERA, not a disaster, but you talk about the up and down season of the Astros. It's been the up and down season of Fromber.

Yeah, and when that thing became, when Newtbar single and it was four nothing. When it was four nothing and the fourth, I kind of was like, you know what, I'm going to keep it on the TV, but I'm not. I'm not locked in. Like, I want about my business doing stuff around the house and stuff. Because it was like, I just had zero faith. The way this offense is so inconsistent right now that they were going to get back into that game down for nothing. Yeah, because I end up watching, you know,

sometimes the Rockets and Astros are on the same. So I got multiple TVs in my living room. They went to TV 2 at about 5-0. It was time for the Astero's to get moved to TV 2. Yeah. I do the I heart thing too. I pull up all the, and I'll walk around the house and I'll listen because Robert and Steve are great.

I love that. It's just hard. Astros still trail 5-0. Still looking for their first or their second hit of the game. You know, it's like, oh. Oh, yeah. I mean, look, Sunny Gray is really good. It was supposed to be a pitcher's duel going into the game.

It was like even odds on both sides. And then, unfortunately, you got the Framber that unravels. I remember at least it was an opening day or was some other time talking with Adam Wexler. And he said something that I agreed with at the time where it's like, people talk about good Fromber and bad Frommber, but it's been good Frommber really for a couple of years and really settled into the year last year. But it's crept back up to good Frumber, bad Framber so far this year. Well, this is the tough part of it being in a contract year too.

I talked about the Swiss shaw and Dan earlier. You know, it's that thing. I've talked about this with Bregman last year. When he got off to such the cold start, I was like, well, maybe this works in the Aster's favor for contract-wise. But it's like, okay, if he has a bad year, yeah, maybe you can get Frommber on a cheaper deal and he stays. But do you want that guy coming off a bad year to say?

sign him to a multi-year deal. And the flip side, if he has an awesome year this year, well, he's going to be the hottest pitcher hitting the free agent market, and there's no way you get him back. So it's that damned if you do, damned if you don't. I think the way they, would Framper say at spring training that they really hadn't had much discussion? Yeah, I think they kind of made the decision. I think the team made the decision. Look, we'll take one more year of Framper and we'll move on. I think so too because, well, kind of a little bit because of what we've been seeing here and because he's 31 years old,

and some other team is, how old was Max Fried when he got signed? Was it an eight-year deal he got from the Yankees? I think he's 30. Okay, he just turned 31. I'm pulling it up. And I think he got an eight-year deal from the Yankees. So I don't think Frommers going to get quite in that.

Yeah, eight years, 218 for Max Fried from the Yankees. I don't think Frammer's not going to quite get that because he is already 31. and, you know, the track record, while it has been very good, it has also been a little bit of ups and downs. It's, I just think the Astros are in no way, shape, or form going to get into that market. Yeah. Well, it's just, again, like, I think if the Astros are going to do anything this season

and make some noise in the postseason, like, they need Frommberg to be good. Yeah, absolutely. He's going to have to shape up, but thankfully you've got who, I mean, I've been calling him your co-ace. If Framer's going to continue to be up and down, we'll continue to evaluate. He's going to be your ace. So you want somebody on the hill to be a stopper. That's what you have in Hunter Brown today. As the Astros will be in action again, another 6.45 p.m. start. It'll be him against Eric Fetty. He was one of the hot names at the trade deadline last year. Yeah. Yeah. He's been pretty good so far too this season. So

Astros bats last night. It was a three-run shot from Jeremy Pena. And then it was not a whole lot. So we were waiting for this breakout. We thought maybe it was coming with the Angels. A little bit of a disappointment there. But the good news is, is Torpedo Dubon a thing? Two hits last night. She's got his average up to 182.

Torpedo Dubon on a two-game hit streak since switching to the Torpedo bat. He also had a base running gaffe. Got out a third. Oh, well, he went, yeah, he went on contact. Was Altovae at the plate of camera? remember, and got thrown out at third base. Could have, as Todd Callis said, he could have kind of went around the other side of the bag to try to avoid getting tagged. But, yeah, that was unfortunate.

It didn't end up matter. And then McCormick had an actual caught stealing. Yes, he was caught stealing. That was, it was a pretty close. He was hanging on the bag thing. He was like, come on, challenge it, let's go. Oh, yeah, there's nothing worse than the player. Joe Spot is like, no.

Like, they get caught stealing, they go, challenge. And Joe Spott, it goes. Absolutely not. That was a terrible decision. Come get your gear, pal. Come back into the dugout, buddy. And you can just see the look on Chaz's face. He's like, God, I'm barely getting playing time as it is.

I mean this in the most lovingly way possible. Chaz is such a goober. Like, I love Chaz McCormick, but he's just like, yeah, absolutely. Feel for him. Like, oh, Chaz, get your ass in the dugout. Come on, buddy. You are out. It's all good.

Now, on the flip side, Cam Smith went 0 for 4. So he's, you know, again. Oh, great. Thanks for bringing that up. Okay, so we are going to go through the lineup. We're going to talk about the offense that has been struggling. We're going to talk about Framer Valdez. How you guys are feeling about that loss last night.

We also have other stuff to get to. Of course, the rockets are going to be firing up playoff action this weekend. But a big game tonight if you want to find out who their opponent is going to be. It's the Grizzlies and Warriors taking each other on. We got some college football stuff to get to as well. NFL draft. Anything you want to get to as well. Phone lines are open at 7-1-3.

212-5-790 if you'd like to get in. 7-13-212-5-7-90. You can also send tweets to at Chris Gordy and to me as well at SportsRV. It is The Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas with you until 2 o'clock and we'll be back after this short break. 1019 in the a.m.

here on Sports Talk 790. Rosvi Real with you, Chris Gordy as well. Matt Thomas is out sick. You want to get in. 713-212-5-790 is the phone number. Matt's been out sick. I woke up with a sore throat, so hopefully we'll be able to make it through here.

Or it's going to be the JK show, I think, for four hours. Get ready, pal. All Hill-Toppers talk coming up, sports talk, 790 for four hours. I can only give you like 30 minutes of Bailey Zappy, and that's it. Okay, Bailey Zappy. Is that the Hill-Toper goat? Yes. That was the king of campus.

Who's in the, like, the Hill-Toper Hall of Fame? Who's the most famous hill-toper athletes throughout the years? I don't, the only one is Bailey Zapien and there was a guy that went, he went to the 76ers. He was like, he was supposed to replace Embed. And he played like two points and then he just got to the G League. So he's only the guy that we know. All right. And then it's you.

You're a third, I guess. We'll put you on the Mount Rushmore, JK. Appreciate you. All right. Chris Gordy is here. Like I said, you guys can get in at 713, 212, 2,1, 5, 790. Astros lose last night to the St. Louis Cardinals back in action tonight, 6.45 p.m. First pitch.

slight favorites are your Houston Astros at a minus 1.25 to try to get back into this one or get back into this series. And hopefully in another series victory because they got one over the weekend. They were won 5-0-8 inning lead away. If they didn't blow that one against some Mariners, they would have won another series. And they would have, at that point, won every series except for getting swept by the Giants. But they lose again. We're sitting here at 7 and 9. 16 games in the season.

That is the 10th of the way, Mark. And so far, I don't know how any other way we could put this. Disappointing, especially with the bats. Pitching has been pretty good. They're leading the entire majors and strikeouts as well. But the bats, the bats, the bats, the bats has been the storyline in the first few weeks. Yeah. And I think the biggest issue is it's guys they're supposed to be pulling their weight or not pulling their weight right now.

You know, that's, that's, it was the same story. last April when the Bregmans and the tuckers were slow to get going and Altuve and this year, I mean, Altuve is kind of cooling off lately, but he's on at least an O for 10th Street. But he started off so strong, you know, the average is still 288, but Isak, your two whole hitters, 262 had the three home run weekend, but, you know, what, he goes Ofer yesterday, Your Honor Alvarez is about in 222. I mean, where's, where's, where's, the pop. Is that bad? It's not great. On base percentage, 338 OPS 653. You got too many guys in this lineup in the 600s in OPS.

Yeah, and we will talk about it with Astros manager, Joe Spott, coming up. They have been facing some tough pitching. I mean, Sunny Gray is very good, but at some point you're going to want to see it a little bit better. And you got it over the weekend for a little bit there, but just not consistent enough. And you can just go down the list. Basically what you did right there, You just went down the entire Astros lineup and just talked about everybody that is struggling. And we used to at least be able to bank on, well, Jose Al Tuve is doing his part. He's carrying the load and he's gone off for the last few games.

And Jake Myers wasn't even in a lineup yesterday. And he came into the game late when this thing was over. And Yordon Alvarez and I think Christian Walker got replaced in the game. I'm sorry, Al Tuvei. And he's been, look, you're not expecting a whole lot from him anyways. but even the guys that you had that got off to hot starts have cooled off, and it's basically everyone right now is struggling with the bat. What's interesting to is you think about the two,

the last opponent you just saw, the Angels, as of yesterday, we're leading all of baseball and home runs, and now you're playing the Cardinals who lead all the baseball and batting average. As a team, they're hitting 287. I know batting average isn't an all be-all, but, like, it's just compounded that you're facing the team that, You know, has the best hitting average in the league. And you have, what, eighth or ninth worst in all baseball?

Yeah. So. Also, okay, we'll go with positives. The pitching has been pretty good. And the defense, I saw them put it up on the graphic. Like the outs above average leaders in all baseball are the Houston Astros. So at least the defense has been pretty good. Yeah.

Let's go with that. Yeah, brought that up yesterday. Al-Tuvay and Camp Smith had been fine in the outfield. It hasn't been any major issues there. Jake Myers has been running everything down. Christian Walker, honestly, has already made a handful of plays that I don't think get made by any first baseman that was on the roster last year. Sorry, John Singleton, but no disrespect to you. We're wishing you the best with the Syracuse Mets.

And the good news about tonight, but it makes me a little nervous. Hunter Brown has three starts so far, six innings two are runs, six innings two runs, six innings two runs, six innings zero runs. Then I feel like he's kind of due for a hiccup. Hey, no. I'm just saying it's how baseball goes. It means he's new for a no hitter. Come on, man. He's been giving up hits this whole time.

Do for a no hitter. That's the way I'm reading it. All right, let's, um... I do think they win tonight. Let's see how this goes. It is the president of the Cam Smith fan club, Israel, here on Sports Talk 790. How's it going, Israel? It's going good, man.

Is your last name, Smith? Be honest. Hey, this is a thing, bro. He's my brother. He's my brother. He's my brother. There's nothing wrong with that. I can support my brother.

Absolutely. I support him too. Okay, well, that's good. I'm not saying that you don't. But look, and Gordon, yes, though, the other day, when I got out the phone, and I said that he's going to be, it doesn't matter. He's going to be working out of the air. Being the first thing he was over for. He was, they didn't get him. He supposed to be actually down in the minors.

But he's got so much talent that he's the third, you know, third to make it to the league. So everybody's watching them. It's like they really want him to fail. But in their heart, they want him to fail and go back. Because how did he come up and do this and everybody else? Nobody wants him to fail. Okay, well, okay. But the other guys who was there before him,

why the ones who've been there for years and they ain't producing? Or we're mad at them too. We're mad at everybody. Well, first of all, I think they're going to, just like last year, was the same thing. Me and you had this discussion with the one they got Kakucci. I don't think Kukuchi. And he turned around eventually, eventually, eventually.

you made you a believer. And they start out like 12 and 24 last year. And I think right there, they're not like they came back like they came back from last year. But I understand this radio, you got to do it. But, you know, this is the home of the stroll. Show them some love too.

I mean, I'm sure they're listening. And shout out to my boy staying, man. All right, yo. Thank you, Israel. Appreciate it. Show them some love. Seven and nine is better than where you were at this point last year?

That's good. Okay. They've been off to slow starts basically every year. I saw a tweet. I can't remember, unfortunately. I would like to credit whoever put it out. But basically the last several years, it's been seven and nine has been like three or four of the times

in the last five, six years they've started this. So I'm not super worried. Of course, we could always say it's early. It is the middle of April. They are going to be fine. The bats are going to turn. I know that they are. You have too many long time major league track records to back this up.

And the good news is you did get that three run bomb out of Jeremy Pena. and he's while the average necessarily hasn't been there, you've had the power and also tracking well, I think, Gordy, for your bet, you and I's bet. I think was it a lunch bet, 20 and a half home runs for Jeremy Panyer? You're looking good. Yep. He's on pace.

Yeah, but I don't care about that. He's on pace for 30. Great. I want them to win games. Well, it'd be nice if they won games. He tried to do his part. Framer Valdez, not so much. So we'll talk about it with John.

Joe Spada coming up. He'll be on the Matt Thomas show with Ross coming up at 1230 for the regular Tuesday visit. Didn't even mention Hayden Wesniewski will also be joining us coming up at 1.30 p.m. here on a sports talk 790. So we're home for your Astros? We're home. We're home for

the hard hitting great interviews. Also, it will be Dana Brown tomorrow morning at 9.30 on the Sean Salisbury show. So we're talking some shows. We can also go to some rockets. We've got, as I said, college football stuff to get to as well. And anything you want, 713, 212-5-790 is the phone number.

7-13-212-5-7-90. Back after this short, bottom-of-the-hour break here on Sports Talk 790. 1031. In the a.m. here on Sports Talk 790. Rosvier out with you. Chris Gordy with you as well. We get the news at noon. That'll be at noon.

We've got Joe Espada coming up at 1230. We will have gut feelings at 1130. As well, it is a jam-pack show. We'll have Adam Wexer joining on at 1 o'clock. Matt Thomas is out. Chris Gordy is hanging out. I do appreciate him. 713-212-5-790 is your phone number.

7-1-3-212-5-7-90. And Gordy, I need your full breakdown of Page Bukers going number one in the 2025 WNBA draft. First off, it's Beckers. Oh, whatever. I just read it as Bukers. I guess I'm out of touch. The U. Whatever.

She is one of the best players to come. your Yukon and that's saying something because Yukon's had some great ones. But the big story you're missing here, Ross, is that LSU for the first time in 20 years had back-to-back first round picks in the WNBA drafts. Wow! Shout out.

A huge tip of the cap to that program. They didn't make the final four and Texas beat their ass. Well, and then Haley Van Liff, who started her career at Louisville, didn't she go to like seven colleges? She played a year at LSU and then just finished this past year at TCU. She got

drafted in the first round to Chicago where, what's her face is, the LSU girl from two years ago that got in the fight with Angel Reese? Angel Reese. And she tweeted let's run this thing back because they were teammates two years ago. Oh, okay. That's great.

All right, and that concludes the WNBA portion of our conversation here on Sports Talk 790 and the Matt Thomas show. Yeah, more WNBA breakdown. With Ross. We'll throw it over to Jonathan. You know way more than you need to know about LSU women's basketball. You're a sick. human being. I support winners. They're a winner.

Well, not this year. Well, I mean, what was it? Elite 8? That's true. No matter what your crazed coach does, you're going to support her as well. She's a winner. She's in the category of the Sabins and the Belichicks and hard ass, but they win. Well, we really appreciate her and her being rude to all kinds of media members. But anyways... Well, maybe you do your job right. Maybe you won't have to get called out. It wasn't... It was not out of line with that reporter said. I think it was.

I know you think it was. All right, Grizzlies and Warriors tonight on TNT. Try that with a spot at 1230. Let me know how that works out. Yeah. Your team is really sucking ass right now. What are you going to do about it? That's not what the reporter said at all.

All they said was you're eliminated in the elite eight last two years. And then there was going to, who knows where the question was going to go because I don't even remember her name. Whatever that crappy, overrated LSU coaches was got all upset with the reporter and cut them off. You're talking about Kim Malky. Yeah, Kim Mulkey. She is one of the winningest coaches of all time. I'm just kidding. She wears the suits and stuff?

Yes, she wears the extremely loud suits for whatever reason. I'm sorry. She looks like she's marching in a Mardioga parade at all times. Independent women expressing themselves. She always wants to look like a drum major. We appreciate her. But no, I think there's ways to ask questions.

Look, I'm cool with trying to train people because they're so untrained media out there these days with bloggers and whatnot. She wasn't trying to train. She was being upset. She was doing it in a coy way. No, she's being a... She's being a poor loser.

Yeah, you've got to throw on a wink. It's like when you say something mean to your spouse or something, you throw on a wink in there and make it a little better. I'm trying to think of a way to do it. Like, what if you've done that to Dusty Baker? Dusty, this is the second straight year you guys have lost in the American League Championship. Yeah, why can't you start a question like that? Because it's a negative connotation.

Like, if you're quite... One thousand percent people start questions that way. Get to your question. You don't think anybody started with asking Kelvin Samson's... You guys have been eliminated in the final four multiple times now. What does that feel like? What is it? How does that?

You're going to put a sour. It starts off the question with a sour note. This is not all sunshine and flowers, Kim Mokie. Sorry. You lost? Own up to it. You can get to ask you a question about that. Every athlete and coach goes through it.

But when you try to like do it historically, it's been, like, try that with the Texans. Damico, this team has never been to an AFC. Another year gone of not getting to an AFC title game. Like minutes after they lose. Yeah. I bet if we go to that press conference of D'Amico Ryan, somebody did ask a question about being eliminated in the second round multiple times. Probably.

And no, I don't remember him getting all mad at people. Yeah, Kim Mokie was out of line. I don't care what you say, you, Homer. I think you phrased that differently the moments after they just lost. Well, sorry that Kim Mokie can't face reality. All right, anyways. What were we talking about? Sorry she wins championships.

Yeah, no, good for her. Vic Schaefer can't come through years. Oh, my God. God, here we go. She should win it. She's making like $6 million a year. She should win every year. Dawn Staley and old, what's his face that you caught

are still pretty... Gino, R.E.M., that guy's... That guy just wins everything. All right. Anyways, I really wasn't trying to spend six minutes talking about Kim Mulkey, but here we are on the show. Grizzlies and Warriors tonight. The line has moved up, Gordy. It was six and a half

when we were talking about it yesterday. Seven and a half points now. The Golden State Warriors. Let's go Grizzlies. I don't care what you say. I don't care what Adam Clanton was trying to argue. I want the Warriors. No, I do not want the Warriors. I do not want Steph Curry splashing in 10 threes against the Rockets and the playoffs like he has in the years past. And most importantly, I will continue to argue this. I'm not really scared of the Warriors as a team. I'm scared Draymond's going to go Draymond and try to knock somebody out for six weeks. He's got a screw loose. He is unhinged. He steps in between those lines and people get

hurt. We've seen it time and time again, especially in the playoffs. In the playoffs, he is raked Nikolioch in the face, LeBron in the face, and James Hardin in the face, and he likes to kick people. So I don't want Draymond Green anywhere near the Houston Rockets team. I'm

just saying. Yeah, I just don't want to, I just don't want to face that team, period. Yeah. They've got too much playoff experience, and again, you know, whether you believe in the mantra playoff experience matters, that team's got way too much playoff experience.

The Rockets have very little. I don't want to face that team. So I had a guy called me from Dallas, some of my old friends from college. And he knows the sports talk of Houston. And he asked me, he was like, so what does the city of Houston think about, you know, talking about the standings?

And I was like, I don't know why everybody's so scared of Golden State. Like, I think everybody in the city is traumatized. Yeah, it's trauma. Maybe you're too young. When they were losing to them in the finals in 2015, what were you, like, 12 years old? Yeah, I only remember at 2018, really. Yeah.

Yeah. was watching Dragon Ball Z, JK. All right. So, no, I'm just kidding. Yeah, I think it's just years of that. They lost to him in what? Was it 15, 18, or was it 16, actually? 18, 19.

It was just too much, man. We're losing the Warriors every single year and the most painful. Really, to me, as an adult, the most painful Houston sports memory. Probably somewhere one, two, is 2019 World Series and 2018, excuse me, Rockets Western Conference Finals. And it's always the Warriors, man. It was always been Clay Thompson. It's always been Steph Curry.

I feel like actually Clay Thompson probably had more big clutch moments against the Rockets than maybe Steph Curry did in those eras. But yes, it is a different Rockets team. Clay Thompson was, oh, deadly. Brutal. So, yeah, it is a different era in a way because there's not a single rocket that was on that team in 2019, the last time that they played.

so I understand that. It's a better team in some respects, especially defensively. It's a more physical team for sure. You've got good wing defenders. They added Jimmy Freaking Butler at the deadline. Like, it's Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, who's quietly averaging almost 18 points a game.

Jonathan Cominga, who's beaten the... Kamingos is a couple times. Well, Brandon Pajempsky's really been coming on and playing well, too. By the way, they're 21 and 8 in their last 29 games, the Warriors are. Well, you tell Adam Clinton. He said he's not scared. He said he wants the Warriors. Careful what you wish for, man.

Well, I think they're going to get the Warriors. So we're going to find out whether we want it or not. They're playing at home tonight, right? Yeah, the Golden Sea Warriors are playing at home. They're up by, I mean, they're up. Yeah, Grizzlies, it would take. Favorite by seven and a half. It would take a miracle for them to win tonight.

So we'll see what happens. They're going to face off. It's going to be a tough, hard-fought series. Honestly, I'm going to pick the Rockets to win. I'll be curious to see. Oh, God. Grizzlies lost five in a row to finish season. Did they? I thought they won a couple.

No, they didn't lose 500 to close the season. I'm looking at April 6th through the 14th. They lost to the Sixers, the Spurs, the Cleveland, L.A. and Denver. No. Are you looking at 25? You're looking at the wrong season. I'm looking at the last season. Okay, good.

I was like, sorry. I didn't think that happened. They did go on it when they fired their coach. which they went on a four-game losing streak, but they bounce back. Get your crap together, yes, man. Why would you send me the last year's schedule? Just in case, man. You wanted to go back.

It looked at the previous days. That's still, again, I'd, to credit my buddy in Memphis, he said, if y'all play us, you all destroy us, y'all win four, maybe five. Okay, I'm going to go hopeful, I'm hoping for the Grizzlies, but they're not an easy out either, but they at least fired their coach and have been, the thing, the season has been unraveling to an extent. Either way. Because here's what I can already envision. Playoff game.

Shangoon at the rim goes up. Nothing. No file. Contact for days with Dremont, no call. Yeah, that's going to happen. Run in the other way. Steph Curry, wide open from three buckets.

I hope he gets tossed from at least one game. Please, please let it happen. Well, it will be happening on Sunday, likely against the Golden State Warriors. At the Toyota Center, we'll have it for you here on Sports Talk 790. or News Radio 740 KTRH. I mentioned this yesterday. We're that time of year.

No matter what, just look for 740 or 790. You'll be set finding the Astros of the Rockets. We're your home for teams in the playoffs. And teams who have won championships here at Sports Talks. And that's true. Of the three major teams in town, we've got the two that won titles. That's right.

We're your home of winners. We are coming. I thought last year was argue. Oh, is that your Cal? At least I picked it up on it. Cal and Hannah the other day were like, we really thought we were going to win it all last year. Like, did you? We didn't think that.

We thought you had a chance, maybe. Joe Mixon thought he was. Wasn't he the one that was talking about I'm not going to the Pro Bowl? Because I'm going to be in the Super Bowl. Like, okay, Joe. That didn't work out. That's okay. I guess they could have had a shot if they'd have gotten, I don't know, three more pick sixes every game.

All right, we're going to take quick break here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. You want to get in. You can. Phone lines are open and available. 713, 212, 5, 7.1. Do you side with Adam Clinton? Do you want the Golden State Warriors? Are we running scared? I'm terrified.

I don't want the Golden State Warriors. What do you think? 713-212-5-790 is the phone number. 7-13-212-5-7-90. Hour number one of the Matt Thomas show with Ross continues on here on Sports Talk 790. Without Matt Thomas. He's out sick. So you know what?

Send the man some well-wishes at SportsM-T on Twitter. I'm sure it'll make him feel a lot better. He likes interacting with you folks, and I'm sure he's missing, hanging out with you. So go ahead and send him a nice get well soon at SportsMT. I'm sure that will make him feel good. Hopefully he'll be back tomorrow. Unfortunately, he's been running a fever and got an IV to his home as well, which he said is very clutch. But hopefully he feels better and we'll be back on air with us tomorrow.

Ross, Villal, here with you, though. Chris Gordy with you as well. We got gut feelings coming up at 1130. We got Joe Espada coming up at 1230. We've got you at 713-212-1-2-5-790. 7-13-212-5-7-90. And there is something Gordy we were talking about earlier that I used to think was one of the highest honors in sports

that I think is getting a little cheapened as we go on and on through the years. Retiring jerseys? That is correct. It seems like, yes, we have come, it's come a little bit, we retire anybody's jerseys. I mean, Texas retired Kevin Durant's jersey.

Hey, whoa, program legend. I get why they did that. Well, first of all, he won an A-Smith National College Player of the Year. I think he swept every National Player of the Year award. He went number two. Greg Oden should have not been taking number one, so suck at Greg Ogan. But also, when you have recruits come through the building and you look up in the rafters and you see Kevin Durant on there, that's big.

So that's why they did it. And they were like, we're trying to build this new Moody Center. We could use a little donation, Mr. Yeah, absolutely. I'm sure. Kevin Durant's been close with the program. He is definitely the headliner of all the players who have come through there recently. That's like Tyron Matthew donated money to LSU's locker room or something. I think it's like the wait room. I think it's called the Tyron Matthew Weight Room. Everybody's got to have 50-inch LCD screens, folks. So let's go ahead and get the donations up.

And Tom Herman started that at a UT. They had the digital nameplate at the top. Yeah, the most opulent and ridiculous thing in college sports to me is those high-end locker rooms. I mean, come on, dude. How long are you to dress? Yeah, like, what do you? Oh, yeah, exactly. You've got like some 50-inch screen like you're watching Oppenheimer or something like that with surround sound. It's a year in your locker.

You're there to change and chat it up with some guys. Well, the point of all this you were trying to get to is that the University of Colorado has announced they will be retiring. Shador Sanders is number two. and Travis Hunter's number 12. Greatest players to ever play at Colorado. As somebody pointed out on Twitter, Cordell Stewart, his number is not retired. They finished in the top 10 twice,

won two bowl games with Colorado. His number is not retired. What's funny is if you were to ask me before this, name, who's the greatest Colorado Buffalo of all time? Probably would go Cordell Stewart, right? Cordell Stewart, definitely. It's the first one to come to my mind. Mason Crosby.

Roshan Salam, maybe, for those older. Yeah. I'm going with Mason Crosby. Wasn't he a Colorado Buffalo? I don't think so. I don't know. Yeah, he was. The kicker?

Yes. That's who comes to your mind first? I'm sorry? I would retire Mason Crosby number before Shador Sanders. What were their records as, what was the record the last two years? I think it was, I just saw it. For the Colorado Buffaloes. I think it was like 13 and 12 or something like that.

They went for real? They went 13 and 12 then? Okay. Yeah, first of all, he started off his career at Jackson State with his dad. They went 4 and 7 and 9 and 4. So yes, 13 and 11. Yeah, okay, 13 and 11. 4 and 8.

I'm sorry, oh, he's 4 and 7. I think he didn't play one of them, yeah. He was 4 and 7 as a starter and 9, then 9 and 4 the year. Barstool for Colorado State said 13 and 12, zero conference championships and 93 YouTube videos. Yeah, that's pretty good. I mean, you can be a great player, but you don't need to have your jersey retire.

Like, that's reserved for the best of the best. And I think in college, you can't even really, you can't even retire the number. No, you shouldn't be able to. Yeah, they got like 93 people. You retire the jersey, but you can't retire the number. Okay. Major League Baseball, you can.

Oh, college said we forgot Eric the Enemy. Eric B. Enemy? Eric B, enemy. Colorado legend? Okay. What about old Joel Clatt, who got sacked like a million times against Texas? I mean, at least Travis Hinner. What's, Joel Clat? Yeah. At least Travis Hinner won the Heisman. So I can kind of get behind that.

Yeah. But Shador Sanders? Do you think Colorado behind the scenes are like, we're thinking of retiring Travis Hunter? D.O's like, well, you get my son. What about my son? Come on now. Come on now. Yeah, exactly. It was probably written in his contract extension that he just signed. Because there ain't no Travis Hunter without Chinoa.

Yeah. That's actually not bad. What's throwing him to football? What about Shiloh? Is Shiloh getting his number retired? Well, there's this big hubbub now with the news that came out Friday with the Saints with Derek Carr being like he's going to miss this season. Uh-huh.

That there's been a lot of buzz that the Saints are trending towards taking Shador Sanders ninth overall. And apparently Lewis, Riddick tweeted something like that ninth pick is getting really interesting and Dion quote tweeted with the eyeball emojis. So it's kind of like it's starting to be kind of understood that the Saints are going to take

Shador 9th. And wasn't that the whole thing that Deon said? Like whoever takes Shador has to take Shiloh? Yeah, it can't be understood that you're taking anybody ninth though. There's eight people picking in front of you. Okay, but it sounds like nobody's going to take Shador. Yeah, it sounds like this is a smokescreen from the agents and everybody's trying

to drum up some market. I don't know. He talked to who said he talked to multiple teams who said Chador's like 41, 42 on their big board. Yeah, but now the owners can get involved. I mean, when there's a certain quarterback prospects and then the owners get involved, something's going to have to happen. Go back too. I will say, go back a couple years ago.

When Lamar Jackson got in the last pick of the first round, I remember some people saying they had him like 50th on their big board. Well, that was a mistake. Well, yeah, and it was a mistake. He fell to the bottom of the first round. round, but it's worked out for the Baltimore Ravens. I'm just saying like, yeah, that's, sometimes they miss on the evaluations. A lot of times.

I feel like Jim Ursay made the Colts draft, I made Chris Ballard draft Anthony Richardson. The, uh, the, so, so you got that storyline with Chador and Travis Hunter getting their jerseys retired at Colorado. April 19th will be the Jersey retirement ahead of their, uh, spring practice or whatever. But did you see what Travis Hunter said yesterday? I did not. He is never playing football again if he can't play both wide receiver and cornerback in the NFL. Oh, whatever.

You're a liar. He said it's never playing football again because I've been doing it my whole life. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball. What day is shut your bum ass up? There's just no way. Now, I think he will play both, but I think it'll be limited snaps. I don't know if he's going to be, look, first of all, wide receiver money is way bigger than corner money.

If you look at the deals that guys like Jamar Chase and Justin Jefferson are getting and relative to like a Derek Stingley deal. Yeah, look at Nico Collins versus Derek Stingley, yeah. Yeah, so, well, what are they? They're probably pretty comparable, right? But Nico Collins deserve. Nico Collins is a bargain. Derek Stingley was also later.

But anyways, I think he should probably financially stay a wide receiver, but people think that he is a better cornerback than he is a wide receiver, even though he's a really good wide receiver. So my guess would be he plays the majority of cornerbacks, snaps and then a sprinkling of wide receiver snaps, if I had to guess. Just at this point. Pure guess. I think whatever team takes him, and who's drafted number two overall?

Titans are one. Is it the Giants or two or the Giants three? Browns. I should know that. Okay, that's right. Yeah. And then the Giants are third? Yeah.

So, I mean, it's kind of most of the mock drafts right now are going Cam Ward number one to Tennessee, Travis Hunter, number two, Cleveland. Yeah, or Abdul Carter up in there. If he gets to Cleveland, the Browns' say you're only playing corner or you're only playing a receiver. He's going to hold out. I think they're going to know. If you draft it number two, you already know that he, what he wants.

You're going to tell him he's going to play those snaps. And then he will, maybe his rookie year and maybe his first couple years. And then I feel like he'll move to one side of the ball eventually. You think that can work, though? Like Shohei Otani? I mean, I think football is completely different. There's a reason they stopped doing it in like the 1950s. Because you just get.

get tired out. There was a reason they used to do it. They were so good. You could play both both ways. Oh, the reason they did it also is because guys they couldn't afford to pay everyone. They're like, uh, we're going to give you one contract. You're going to play both sides of the ball. You'll be like, you'll be out there like Jim Thorpe. Well, Jim Thorpe did everything. Yeah, punting, kicking,

offense, defense, and coaching. Yeah, he'll hire one guy to do five things back of the day. Now you have somebody who's just literally a long snapper. It's a little bit different. We need more Jim Thorpe's. Yeah. Any more guys who play everything. Jim Thorpe of the second Fox tribe.

Tell you something, man. I take a Jim Thorpe on my team any day. Yeah, I'll tell you what. All right, we're going to take quick break here. That's our number one of the Matt Thomas show. Chris Gordy is hanging out. Matt Thomas is out sick. We're talking about anything you want to get to.

713-212-5-790 is the phone number. 7-13-212-5-790. The Matt Thomas show with Ross. Hour number two begins next. Number two of the Matt Thomas show with Russ. Without Matt Thomas, he is out sick. He should be back tomorrow. We will be, well, that is to be determined, I suppose, in full, but hopefully he is fine and feeling better.

We'll get it. You know what, I'll text him right now. How are you feeling, Matt? Okay, we'll find out how Matt Thomas is feeling. We'll give you live updates as we can. We'll also give you live news updates coming up with the news at noon. We'll also have Astros manager, Joe Espada, joining us at 1230. Hayden Wes Nesky, the Houston product, pitching well for the Houston Astros.

He is coming up at 130 as well. We also got gut feelings. What kind of predictions you want to make? What are you feeling in your gut that comes up at 1130? 713-2125790 is your phone number if you would like to get in. 713-212-5-790. We've been talking some Astros. We've also been talking a little bit about the Rockets.

and me at least hoping and praying and wishing that the Golden State Warriors will not be the Ashtra, be the Rockets opponent in their first round series. Isn't it kind of crazy that we're at this point, that it's going to, there's, we pay 82 games, and then this one play-in game is going to determine the seating, and then you can play those 82 games if you're the Warriors or the Grizzlies, and you lose two games, and you're completely out of the playoffs.

Kind of like The Astros last year Yeah Two to the Tigers Yeah that's even worse You won your division You won your division In 162 game season

And you're out in two games Because Tarek Scouble is too good And then A.J. Hinch waves his black magic wand With all the bullpen matchups that he does And then you lose and you're out of that game That's tough Or completely out of the playoffs

Big News scoobul is still very good I think he pitched 7-in-he shut out yesterday I got some more news for you. Did you know? I was looking this up the other day. I was putting in a flexor tendon surgery. People who have had the same surgery that Lance McCullors Jr. has, one of them, Terrick Scouble.

So Lance McCuller's Jr., he's going to be pitching like Terrick Scoobo when he comes back. It's basically what I'm trying to tell you. Bounce her back, huh? Yeah, well, we're hoping. The Astros might need it, especially depending on what shakes out with this rotation. Although Ryan Gusto was pretty solid on Saturday. It was four innings of three-run ball. He could be better.

We mentioned it. The Astros are, they're going to be doing a watch party next Friday night at Carbock in the Mirror Garden. And that's the series against the Royals. That's the series that they're hoping to get Lance McCullochian. You're back. Could happen. He's supposed to pitch again, I believe, this weekend.

Is it for, is he back on the hooks or is he back with the Space Cowboys? I can't recall. I think they go with whoever's home or close. He pitched with the hooks, but he was in Friscoe. at least as close to home as they can get. So I don't remember where he is. It kind of doesn't matter. So last caller's junior back in action this weekend.

Hopefully he gets closer and closer. He keeps jumping these hurdles or checking off these boxes, whatever you want to say, it's happening. And so far there have not been any setbacks. Hopefully that continues to be the case. 713-212-579 of the phone number. As I said, if you'd like to get in, George in West University is holding patiently. What's up, George? Hey, so I just wanted to mention on the playoffs, the baseball playoffs.

Yeah, it's ridiculous that the division winner doesn't get the first round by. They never should have added that third wild card. I think winning the division, the reward should be a buy. It's ridiculous how they expanded. But anyway, after you kind of beat the topic of LSU women's basketball to death, I wanted to make sure we beat the topic of Colorado football to death. And in your list of famous players from there, you might have learned. left out the most famous of all, a guy named Byron White, who was an all-American,

a multi-time all-pro in the NFL, led the league in rushing a couple of times, led the league at return yardage. And then even more famously, after his playing career, he became a lawyer and became a justice of the Supreme Court. So he's really a hero for Colorans and really kind of a remarkable figure in, you know, American sports and American public life. So I just wanted to mention that. Okay, thank you. Yeah, he penned dissents in both Miranda versus Arizona and Roe v. versus Wade. We'll be breaking down those cases in full this segment, George.

All right, take care, thanks. Okay. All right. Well, yeah, I was just pulling him up. So, okay, well, if you say most famous of all, I hadn't heard him. Actually, maybe Byron White sounds somewhat familiar. Not as a sportsman, but I guess as a Supreme Court justice. Believe it or not, Byron White coming up at 250 today here on Sports.

to talk 790 folks. Okay, or maybe it's not. Your thoughts on Byron White and should he have his number retired by the Colorado Buffaloes, Gordy? I'm going to sound for that, sure. Okay, yeah, that's what I wanted to hear. Okay, thank you for getting in with that. Most famous Colorado Buffaloes

and Byron White, apparently, that is quite a life, though. I mean, look, you're a dominant college football player and then you go on to be a Supreme Court justice. Good for you, wishing to the bells. Also graduated from Yale Law School. Not bad. As it says here on Wikipedia, he matriculated at Yale Law School, played for the Detroit Lions, and as well, in 1940 and 1941.

All right, anyways, 713, 2,1, 570 is the phone number if you want to get in. 713, 2,1, 2, 5790. Mentioned we will have Hayden Wesniewski later on in the show. Hunter Brown on the Hill, are we calling him? Now, this will be a fluid list, but if you lost the day before, and you want to be, want to see this name and the probable pitchers. We're going Hunter Brown right now is the number one name, the hot name for the Houston Asheros, I believe.

Yeah, I'm excited. Look, the pitching staff, I think, is fine. I just, we need this offense to come around. That's the bottom line. Christian Walker, I don't know what's going on with him, how he's been this great hitter, his whole career. And are they just cursed with the first base position? Like, they signed Jose O'Brieu was their first big acquisition at first base,

and it turned out to be a bust. and now here you are with Christian Walker made him one of the highest paid first basement all the baseball and so far not great. Yeah, I'm not saying it's going to happen but it would be funny to me that if it did happen to where you sign a in his, well,

more mid-30s for Christian Walker and more late 30s for Jose Abraeu to these free agent contracts to where you're paying them their 34, 35, 36 age years and beyond. And yet you refuse to do that for a guy like Alex Bregman but then you do it for these guys.

But then also maybe this is a point in Jim Crane's favor is like, okay, yeah, you say I shouldn't do it and I am, but look what happens when I did. I did sign somebody into their late 30s and Jose Bray was a disaster. And we'll see what happens with Christian Walker. I think he's going to be completely fine. But if it does happen,

I think that'll be a little bit ironic to me that there is this hard-lined philosophy to not sign guys into the 30s, unless they're already in their 30s. Then that's when you do it. It might be, did Yuleiguriel leave them with a curse when he left? Oh, the curse of the Yuli? The curse of the Pena?

He put, I put the... Yeah. I put the pineapple curse on you. Did he bury a pineapple under first base? And now it's been cursing the people of Houston or anybody who stands over there now? Or no, he had to do it at the plate. It is wild. Yeah, this... Can't get a good first hitting...

Yule didn't... A good hitting first baseman here. Didn't Yulee break camp with a team? Was it the Padres? Yeah. Yeah, is he playing much over there? Dude's like, it's funny that we're talking. about this guy. We don't want to sign these

first basemen who are old. He's 41. He's hitting 130 for the Padres. He'll be here this weekend. People were talking about how great he was at the Royals. He had 241, 635 OPS. Not very good. On Sunday for the Padres. So one for three scored a run, drove in a run,

and worked a walk. Yeah, but he's not hating well. It's fine. Two games before that. I'm glad we could stamp that out. One for five with a run scored in an RBI. and he was playing in the playoffs. And didn't he have like a big hit or a home run or something in the playoffs? And people were like, oh, look at that.

Should have kept Yuley. He ended up hitting 190 of the playoffs. Is it the Royals for a little bit? Yeah. That was last year. Okay. Do you know he's got more RBIs than Christian Walker right now? And Christian Walker's batting four-hole every night.

You don't have to bring that. At a prime position to drive in runs. All right. Well, let's bet on who's going to be hitting better by the end of the season. It's fine. I know. Oh, he's got three? How many does Christian Walker have?

Christian Walker has two runs bad at it in. Are you serious? Yes. You can't get two pop flies to get a guy on third base home? I guess nobody's getting on base, so nobody's got. That is embarrassing. Altuva was getting on base for like the first week of the season. Yeah, and now he's, well, I don't say falling back to Earth.

He's on a bit of a run. It's early. 20 strikeouts for Christian Walker so far. Dude. At least his walk numbers are coming way up. He didn't walk for like, the first week and a half for plus of the season. He had four straight games with two walks.

That's good. That's good. Getting on base. Let's go. He's working some walks. But only eight hits so far at April. Yeah, he was pacing with like his worst whiff percentage and worst walk percentages of his career, but at least he's doing a lot better now.

So he's going to turn things around. He also did, as we have mentioned. He's had a lot of the hard hit contact. So I still think he's going to be fine, but it's like coming out here every day, every single day, coming on these airways, and bats are going to be fine. This is going to turn. It's going to be okay.

It's going to get better. And it did get better over the weekend, but we didn't really get to talk about it. So it almost doesn't feel real, at least for the purposes of talking on this show. So a real offensive explosion from the bats tonight would really help me out mentally. I'm having to continue to say this,

especially for the second year in a row, for how long that they were just in a huge rut collectively as a team for last year. credit to them for getting out of it. Credit to them also for getting lucky and having the Mariners completely collapse. But this doesn't feel good. Astros are ninth in baseball in L.O.B.

Fire the hitting coaches, everyone says. Of course, I don't want that to happen. Nobody says fire the hitting coach when they score 14 runs on Friday. Right. That's always funny. All right. I dare I even check where the team OPS number is right now?

No, I'd rather not. Okay. We are going to take another break here on the match. Thomas show with Ross. The bats will turn. When will that be? We don't know. Gut feelings are coming up at 1130. We also have Joe Espada to talk with

as well at 1230 coming up here on the program. You can get in as well at 713 212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-7-90. Topics we will not be discussing today. One that is on, why do you have this on? Give me the remote, Gordy. Jesus. There's got

be something else. Gordy has worst take on. Kick it around. Could a good draft make the Cowboys a playoff team? Oh my God. Stephen A. Smith? Play the hits folks. He's a Cowboys Apologist, so he's probably like, yes, I absolutely believe the Cowboys

if they have a great draft will be in the playoffs. No, he hates the Cowboys. Stephen A. doesn't he? Oh, that's right. He'd hates. He's the Big Eagles fan. No draft could save this Cowboys team. Jerry Jones is running the program. Bottom line. All right. Thank you. you appreciate it. Stephen A. Good God.

All right. Dak is average at best. Every quarterback in this draft is better than that. I'm rather to put this documentary on about Bobby Knight or what else is on. Here we go. Fast money. Best of Family Feud. Ooh, Feeble World Basketball. I'm actually putting that on. All right, look. Worst take is we're not going to be talking about what's on that show. Right now here on Sports Talk 790, the Matt Thomas show.

You would think they would talk about like the sports of the day, like NBA playoffs. This is where you, and I get it. it. Actually, you know, like we do, I just don't get it on Thursdays. I get it. You know, we have data here, right? Gordy, when we talk about certain topics, when certain, like, when they're big Astros days, I'm going to be honest with you, folks. When there are big Astros days and games and then the playoffs, our ratings go up. We're the Astros station. So what happens during those days? We talk majority of Astros because we know that that's what people are tuning in for.

So I understand that they have a situation where they have numbers as well. When we talk Lakers when we talk cowboys and when we talk LeBron James, it seems that our interest is up and our ratings are up and the clips of those go more viral, we're getting more impressions, boom, boom, we got to keep going to that well. But it's just like when you beat something over the head every single day, we don't do that at this station. Certain stations might. We don't talk Astros every single day when they're not in season. We're talking rockets. We're talking Texans. We're talking about anything that's going on in the world of sports. We don't pigeonhole ourselves. But clearly, They do that at ESPN and it is just over the top.

And it's just become a running joke with every single media outlet or comedy. Like it's on SNL. Everyone knows that's what they're doing. That's the playbook. Here's the tough part with them, though. What are they all like, what's the big argument about WNBA? WNBA doesn't get enough love. We don't talk about enough.

If we talk more about it, it'll get more love and people appreciate it. But then on those shows, they don't do it. Yeah. No, let's bring up LeBron again. LeBron versus MJ. Let's debate that. that is definitely it's an interesting thing

if they let's say they switch to with all NBWNBA format then yeah interest will go up to some degree but there are going to be people who are never going to be interested in the WNBA and here in Houston we don't have a team I don't watch a whole lot of WNBA

that's cool if they're putting on coverage about it but it just doesn't really interest me so it is true to where and not even the WNBA if they want to talk Shea Gilgis Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder and how great they are, there is going to be some tune out factor because we, as the sports consuming public, have shown them via their data that we like when they scream at each other, we like when they get

mad, we like when Shaq and Chuck are threatening to fight each other rather than giving you any kind of basketball knowledge where they can't pronounce anybody, is anybody's name on the Houston Rockets, and they're naming guys who aren't even active as, as players who are going to be a key factor in the games tonight. Just where we're going. I probably in general as a society, we could put this not only in the sports sphere, but we talk about the people that you know who are teachers

and how teaching has changed and how they just pass everybody. And then the society is just... When's the last time they talk baseball, though, on first take? I don't know. I don't watch it enough. I just put on the MLB network, so MLB now is on. But also, yeah, I imagine that Stephen A. Smith and his Will House, isn't a whole lot about baseball. I don't know if he's going to be breaking down.

What's the OPS plus of Kyle Tucker and the reverberations of the trade that they made with the use of Astros? And will he sign a long-term deal? And also how much interest is there nationally with that? If you say LeBron James to 100 people on the street, you're going to get more of reaction than if you say Alex Breggman to 100 people on the street. So to an extent, like I said, I get it why they're doing what they're doing. But I think there's a difference between giving the people. what they want and what gets a reaction and running things into the ground. And I think they're just closer to the ladder.

Lowest common denominator. That's what they're going for. We're not bringing you the lowest common denominator here, folks. We don't do that at Sports Talk 790. You want to get in? You want to talk about anything we can. 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-7-90. Should the Astros, let's just do this, should the Astros fire their hitting coaches? Is Joe Espada hurting this team?

I've been saying it ever since he was hired. I don't know if a spot is right for the job. That's what they would be thrown up. I actually thought about this, like conceiving a segment that we would do with Matt. They did, my God, Dusty Baker dirty. No, actually, I think we did talk about this on air. We would call it worst take. And then Matt and I for a full segment would just pretend that we were on one of these loud.

Yeah, we would do Houston sports style. But we would do it with the Houston Rockets and the Houston Astros and talk about that. and just like massive gross overreactions. And I bet you we'd get like the most calls and the most tweets and stuff like that. So like I said, I get it. It's just not my style. I just can't.

If you hear me yelling and angry about something on these airways, it's genuine, it's true, it's real. Like I'm yelling about how I do not want the Golden State Warriors. Please. Let's go gris. Somebody just posted this. John Hollinger, who was with the athletic now. He picked.

He was with ESPN. And then he was in the Grizzlies front office. office, right? Yeah. With the athletic, he picked one Amin Thompson as his defensive player of the year. Ooh, okay. He says in terms of defensive roles, Thompson is

actually two players. He guards the opponent's best perimeter score on many nights, but he also doubles as an elite rim protector as well. Love it. I think he's gotten, there's a couple of people who he's gotten votes and he's gotten noticed for. His three points

6% block rate was higher than that of Draymond Green. Zubach Zubach, Jared Allen, Gannis, only six players in the entire league played at least 2,000 minutes and blocked shots at a higher rate than Thompson, which is amazing because on the other side, he was shutting

down the perimeter at the same time. Yeah, as primary defender holding upon us to a 40.6% field goal percentage, the lowest mark in the NBA. Like that speaks to his quickness, right? That he's able to, he's defending you out of the perimeter. and then he's getting to the rim very quickly to block a shot.

He just does everything. He's lengthy. He's smart. He positions himself well. He does a good job of not fouling. And he also has this really, really good ability to not bite on pump fakes. It's like he's like he's a poker player reading your face and he's not bite. Now, occasionally he does get got by pump fakes.

It happens. Especially guys who are like the best in the business at him, like the Luka Donchich's and guys like that who are just going to pump fake 76 times. It does happen. But for the most part, it's really interesting to watch how disciplined he is on those fakes and ball fakes. And he just reads things well. He just has a defensive instinct that you cannot teach. He's got it.

Whatever it is, he can just, he's like a free safety. He knows where the ball is going. He knows what everybody else is doing before. they do it. He's in the right places at the right time. Like you said, the rim protection, the weak side help blocks that he's able to get as well. He just does everything,

man. He's so extremely valuable to this team. And in his second year, blossoming into somebody who, well, I don't think he's going to win defensive player of the year. He's been in that conversation. And I think it could be coming for him in the next few years. We do. Speak of NBA, a little

update. Shams just dropped. Damien Lillard will miss the start of the NBA playoffs. Game one of their first round against the Pacers is Saturday. With the blood clots. He has made significant progress, though, and there's optimism for his clearance at some point in the playoffs. So when the Rockets get to the NBA finals versus the Bucs,

Damien Lillard could be back. I don't think it would be the Bucks. By the way, I did, we were talking about you had, we had those odds from Bet Online. It was 45 to 1 of the Rockets. I saw 80 to 1 some places. and let's just say I have a good friend in Louisiana

who was able to help me get a little get a little taste on that. 80 to 1, Rockets to win the chum. Yeah, 20 bucks, I win 1,600. Only thing that has to happen is the Rockets that's winning a NBA championship. Yesterday, I had like 40. Yeah, it was 45 we were looking out.

Sorry, I still got it on that too. All that means is if we live in 81 multiverses that start after like the playoffs start, if the Rockets can win in just one of them, I've got good value. Let's go Rockets. Come on, baby. If I told you you could have one or the other,

the Rockets get to the finals but lose, or they will get the number one pick in this draft. What would you rather? I would. If it's only one or the other, I'd probably take the... That's a good question, actually. I'd probably take the number one pick.

I might take the... Losing the final. Like, for them to get to the... They have not been to the NBA championship since Hakeem was suiting up. I don't know that Cooper Flagg is a future superstar, but I think at the very least he's a future, very good NBA player.

You want to win it all, but how fun of a run would that be if this team went on a run that made it to the NBA finals? That means you would be knocking on. That means they probably, hopefully somebody does your dirty work for you and knocks off the thunder. It would be. But you would mean you knock off the thunder somewhere along that. Somebody on Twitter brought it up to me,

and it would be kind of like that. Remember the 17 Astros? They went through all the big name teams. It was like the, what, the Red Sox, the Yankees, and then they beat the Dodgers. So it would be like that. You would beat the Warriors, then you would beat the Lakers, presumably, if they don't lose to the Timberwolves. Then you would beat probably the Thunder and then the Celtics are calves. Maybe 80 to 1 is about right.

Much like the 17. Much like the 17 aster's. We went, oh, they're ahead of schedule. Yeah. Look at this. And then they won it all. But also seven game basketball series, less. quite frankly I will always say this

they were not better than the 17 Dodgers the 17 Astros the 19 Astros were better than the 19 nationals and they lost. I feel like that happens more in baseball than say basketball barring injury. All right we got to take quick break here. Go ahead. I was just going to say what if you had moments throughout this playoffs or like at the end of a game Dylan Brooks hit a big shot and another game it's Fred Van Vleet hits a big shot.

Like they've got so many guys somebody different could step up every night. We go, oh, remember that game seven against the thunder? the Alpy Shingoon game. I remember that where he dropped 45. Drop 45 on Chad Hongman's head. That'd be incredible. All right. We're going to dream about that. Or maybe you know what? Was that a gut feeling prediction from Chris Gordy? It could have been. What are you feeling in your gut? Do you have a prediction that you want to make about something happening in the future?

You're not really just putting your name on. It's like, you know what? I got a gut feeling about this. I got one about Lance McCullors Jr. I will get to that coming up. You have one. You can. 713-212. 5-790. 7-13-212-5-790. What you have feeling in your gut? Gut feelings coming up next here on Sports Talk 790. Listen up girls and boys. They've been so appealing. Goce Ross and Matt Thomas. Yo, they got a gut feeling. This is their gut feeling on the Matt Thomas show. All right. What are you feeling in your gut? It is time for the Tuesday. staple segment here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross.

You can get in. 713. 212.5-7-90. 7-1-3. 21-2-5-7-90 is the number if you'd like to make a prediction and get in. First up on this segment, we look at what happened last week.

And I'm actually trying to find, yeah, I got some lists of, I'm trying to find the last gut feeling we had from you, Gordy. looks like it's been, or I haven't written down anything for you in a long time, at least since deep into last year. So maybe you haven't been around for Tuesdays. Perhaps I've been neglecting you.

It was a real hot take. It's definitely your football season. I think I had one. I think you did too, but I didn't write it down. I have to go back to 2023 to find something from you, and it's about Dana Holgerson. Oh, what did I say? Okay, well, I scored. Let me see.

Yeah, you had that right. This week is the last game for Coach Hogerson, versus UCF. Was that probably about right? And then you said the next coach for U of H or I'm sorry, you said Jeff Trailer will be the next coach at U of H or Texas A&M. Oh, man.

I was all aboard the Jeff Trailer bandwagon and then they kind of fell off last year at... It's funny how that happens with coaches, right? Like one year you're hot and the next year not. You might as well take every opportunity you can, Bobby Sloick. He is still the head coach at UTSA. Yeah, he came off of 21 and 22. He came off of 12 and 2.

11 and 3 and then 9 and 4 and then 7 and 6 last year All right, well let's look at last week Matt Thomas said the Rockets will win their first round series under 7 games. He says zero Astros will participate in the WBC. That's just, that's not happening.

Aaron Judge already announces Captain America for the WBC team next year. So? So they announced the captain before they announce any of the rest of the team. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know how that works. I'm not really paying attention.

I guess I'll watch a little bit of the WBC. I don't get really big into it. But these players love it. They love representing their country. Jose Altovae said broken thumb be damned. I would guess he's going to be representing Venezuela come WBC. Yeah, I'm sure Cubs outfield or Kyle Tucker will be in there. Boston Red Sox third baseman will be represented.

Hopefully be in the mix. Maybe not Cubs closer Ryan Presley this time around. He was America's closer. Hopefully he can be back. Although, yeah, I haven't even looked. Can we get Cam Smith in the middle? I don't think he's going to make the cut, unfortunately. How is Ryan Presley doing with the Chicago Cubs?

So I got saved last night. I was watching highlights. Oh, okay. Good for Ryan Presley. He got the job done. Cubs Closer, Ryan Presley. Good for him. Keep an eye on him for fantasy purposes. Got four saves already.

Oh, what? Oh, don't tell me he's turned his whole season around now that he's somewhere else. He's already pitched in eight games this year. Eight innings pitched. Three earned runs. Yeah, it looks like he's been giving up some hard-ed hit contact. His field independent pitching is super high. 6.16.

That should be about ERA. If you have a 616 ERA, that's not good. Yeah, 11 hits in the eight innings of work. So maybe he's been... Not exactly getting the one, two, three. Yeah, that's the Ryan Presley that we know and love. All right. Well, I said the Rockets will also win their first round series, no matter of the opponent.

I went against Matt. I said multiple Astros will play in the WBC. Jonathan made a prediction. He said the Rockets first round series will go seven games and the Houston Rockets will win. I will make a further prediction for today. By the way, if you want to get in with a gut feeling, 713-2-790 is your phone number. 713-212-5-790. I'm going to start it off.

Rockets will play the Golden State Warriors. Oh, God, really? Is that really a gut feeling? Really going on a whim on that one? I'm not done. Okay. They will defeat the Golden State Warriors in seven games. God.

I don't want this thing to go seven. We're going to have to sweat that thing out. You have to really sweat it out. God. and that means a lot of pre-imposed games shows. I don't think they win. I can win at home in seven? You can, but God, that's just...

How about this for a gut feeling? If it is the Warriors versus the Rockins in the first round, Warriors win one of those first two at Toyota Center. Okay, so what? I don't like it. I don't like it. I don't want it to happen. Am I writing this down? Is this on the record for you?

Sure. Okay, fine. I don't want that to happen, but it feels like that would happen. Maybe I should say, maybe I should just man up and say, Rockets in five. And then you'd have to go to Golden State and win, you'd have to win one there. Go Grizzlies. Come on. Beat these jerks tonight.

Astros win. Hunter Browns, seven innings a two-run ball. This is a prediction for tonight, seven innings? Yes. Two runs? Okay. He's only gone six in all three starts this year. You think you go seven tonight against the best hitting team in baseball average-wise? Yes. What's up?

Bring it. Hunter Browning is scared. Those are pesky. They put up some good at bats lost. Yeah, a hundred brown's about to strike them all out. What's up? Jonathan, what do you got? I'm going to take my luck on the NFL draft. And I'm going to go.

I have a gut feeling right now I keep seeing Shador either in the top 15 or in like top 10. And in Ashton Genti in a lot of these drafts are nowhere close to the top 15. So my gut feeling is that Ashton Genti is going to be top 15. I can't take the team. I'm not going to do all that. Go ahead of Shadur. Uh-huh. You're having them ahead of Shador?

No, I have should, yes. I think Aschiddy will get picked before Shador does in the top 15, both getting top 15 as well. And then Travis Hunter will go top five. Yeah, Travis Hunter, most people have him two or three. That's not the biggest. But we'll write it down for you, Jonathan. Okay, I had three there.

I had three. Okay, okay. All right, all right, all right. No, no, that's fine, fine. Do you want me to say top three? You said the Golden State was going to win. Yeah, I said that they've read the, In the Ashton, the Rockets, this is that time of year.

Astros and Rockets. The Rockets are going to beat them in seven. That was my addendum. Okay? Fine. Now, if they beat him in five, does that still count as a gut feeling? No, it's a gut feeling.

It's a gut feeling half loss. I said they're going to win. This is my gut feeling. This is what I'm feeling. Gutte feelings are fluid too, Gordy. You can come back next week and you can have a different gut feeling. I'm just saying it. All right.

I got one more for me in a couple. a couple of weeks, Lance McCuller's Jr. will make his Astros debut. First time pitching for them since 2022. He will go four innings, and he will give up two earned runs. And the Astros will win the game. That last part may be tough. Bullpen's going to hold it down.

Bennett's Sous is, it's Benet Sousa season, baby. Let's go. What's up? What do you think? I do like the... I do think that he goes four innings when he gets back here. Feels about right.

He's been racked up the walks here and there and some of these rehab starts and that's kind of Lance McCuller's junior M.O. But that'll be a win. That'll be a win. If he comes back to the big league club, he has not put on an Astro's uniform and taken the mound

since, you know, Philly's World Series, November 22. All right, any more gut feelings? Um, I had one of the draft that, that, that he triggered. Oh. Um, I want to, I want to say the Titans will trade out of the first pick. Ooh. Yeah, this whole, every, that's not bad, okay.

Everybody, their brother is locked in. Cam Ward is going number one over all of the Titans. And I, I'm starting to think, isn't this what happens every year with the draft that, like, what we're hearing two weeks out, never holds firm? That's correct. Okay. Go with it. Cam Ward does, or the Titans,

do not select the number one pick. They trade out of the number one. Titans do not take the number. You don't think they need a quarterback? You know, it's been a year and change since I got your gut feeling. So you can give us the gut feelings for like the next two years.

Is Cam Ward like the next, is he, Kenny Pickett? Is this the 2022 NFL? Are you going to write that down? Cam Ward is a bust. It's a gut feeling. He could be good to do it. Yeah, put me down for Cam Ward.

It was a bus. By the way, I just saw he signed with Under Armour. If he will go number one overall, he would be the first quarterback to do that. since Cam Newton. Hey, should that be like a sign that maybe he is a bus because Nike doesn't want anything to do with him? Could be.

And you'd be like, well, Nike doesn't want N. But also, I mean, that happened with Steph Curry and he was okay. But I digress. Okay, you've got a gut feeling. Those are you on hold. We will get to you in the next segment, I promise. You want to get in with your gut feelings,

713, 2125-790. A prediction you want to make. 7-13-21-5-790. More gut feelings coming up next. We got Joe Espada coming up at 1230 here on Sports Talk 790 and then at Thomas show with Ross. Astros manager Joe Espada coming up at 1230. Hayden Wesneseki coming up at 1.30 here on Sports Talk 790. You're home for your Houston Astros.

They lose yesterday to the St. Louis Cardinals. 8 to 3. Get down 8 to nothing. So that was real fun yesterday. And well, they go to look to bounce back, trying to win the series with a Hunter Brown start today and a Ronald Blanco start tomorrow. That will be a day game on Wednesday, 1215 first pitch. Tonight is 645, as I said, here on Sports Talk 790.

You're home for your stroes. It's Hunter Brown Day. We'll talk about it, as I said, with Joe Spada come on up at 1230. So you got your backs against the wall. looking to bounce back in a series. Not a worst thing to have Hunter Brown on the Hill. Oh, and I just noticed that we just got a phone call in. All right, we can do some gut feelings.

Let's roll it. You want to get in with your gut feelings? You still can. We did them in the last segment. 713-212-5-790 is your phone number. 7-13-212-5-7-90. Yeah, go ahead. You can play that, Jonathan.

This is their gut feeling on the Matt Thomas show. With Ross. here on Sports Talk 790 Stephen and Los Angeles what's your gut feeling I just wanted to point out that last week I had a gut feeling that Cam Smith would hit his first

home run in the Angel series that he did that Friday night Many blessings thanks to you can you predict every Astro to hit three home runs in the next week? I need your God on to be on that list as soon as possible but my gut feeling

for today is that Amin Thompson will win the defensive player of the year. I think there's some real juice behind it. So, yeah, that's my good feeling. Okay. Thank you, Stephen. I mean, I've seen a few of the media members have come out and have Amin Thompson atop their ballot. I just don't think it's going to be enough.

I think who's the favor then? It's got to be Draymond Green, I think. That's a week ago, it's Draymond. Yeah, once Victor Wimbunyama went down, it was kind of a free-for-all. I guess it's, look, I guess I haven't been watching that much Golden State Warriors basketball. Back in mid-January, he was plus 12,000. Then Wembe got hurt, and he got, he put the plus 3,500.

Going into March, he was plus 5,000, and by the end of March he was minus 110, and currently minus 450. Yeah, as of a week ago, I'm in Thompson, not even on these odds that I'm looking at. Yeah, Evan Mowably, Lou Duh, Dyson Daniels, Jaron Jackson Jr., Shea Gilges, Alexander. So, yeah, one sports book has Dremont is the favorite.

Bovada has Evan Mowgli is the favorite. Dyson Daniels seems to be getting more love than Amen. But Evan Mowgli, yeah, it sounds like, is the runner-up favorite. He's going to be the bridesmaid. You mean after Dremont?

I thought Dremont was a heavy favorite. That was one sports book. All these other ones. looking at all have Mobley. Really? Okay. Well, Cleveland Cavaliers five days ago tweeted a no-brainer, Evan Mobley, defensive player of the year.

That would be Evan Mobley, who was taken a win in the draft? What number? God, they all, they all. No, he was taking number three, he was taking number three in 2021, who was taken number two in 2020? Was that right after Jaylen? Yes, that is correct. Okay. All those

drafts just mesh into one of those. Hey, can I find that article that I wrote for our website where I was saying Jalen Green over Evan Moby and go ahead and delete that. No, or the jury's still out, right? I'm feeling good. I mean, Jalen Green just had his best season. But the other three picks of the top four that year have all been all, have all made the All-Star game. Cunningham, number one, Evan Mowley, three, and Scotty Barnes four.

All you need is Jaylen Green to go on this run right now. Yeah. Now, Scotty Barnes won rookie of the year, right? You know what? I'm going to actually write this since we're still doing gut feelings. I've had this. I'm glad we brought it up. Jalen Green, 30 plus points in the first game.

I think he's been, wait for his playoff moment? It's not only that. I think this week off is really going to help him. He's played all these games. He's on this long start streak. He's been holding his wrist. He's been kind of gimping around.

I think this extra week off is really going to inject some life into him. I really think that Jalen Green is going to show up and show out in these playoffs. truly believe that. What's up? Got a feeling. What if the seventh pick of that draft shuts him down? Jonathan Cominga. No, that's not happening.

That is what... Jimmy Butler might be a different story, but... That is pretty wild, though, keep cutting it. The funniest thing is, Ross, the 16th pick of that draft was also an all-star. Alpern-Shen-Goon. That's crazy. If you went back that night and I said, yeah, Ross, great draft picks with this Shangoon guy 16th and Jalen Green, too, what if I told you four-year-old?

from now, Shangoon will be an all-star and Jalen Green won't. Pretty crazy. Yeah. But I think like I said, Jalen Green had his best offensive season. I think the points per game numbers weren't there,

especially because he was only playing like 15 minutes in the last couple of games. But as far as free throw percentage, field goal percentage, well, went down a little bit, but three point percentage, highest of his career. So, I'm feeling pretty good

about our friend Jalen Green. Hopefully he can make an all-star team. You average 20 plus points per game, not hyper-efficiently, but not super inefficient. He could get there. My dream for him is 25 plus points per game and efficiently.

And I do think with this extra time off, he's going to have a big game, game number one. You heard it here first on gut feelings, The Man Thomas Show. What's up? I like it. I like that.

I think it's going to happen, no matter who they're playing. Even if it is going to be the Golden State Warriors, they play the Memphis Grizzlies tonight. Line still holding seven and a half points. Yeah, what if I tell you game one of this series? Jalen Green goes off for 30. But Steph Curry drops 45. Oh, right.

Stop. It's not going to happen. I hope not. We are team Grizz tonight. Go Grizz. Yeah, let's see. I'm just kind of looking. The last game of the season. Curry had 36.

He had that horrible three-point game against the Rockets, for sure. Even with that three-point game in the month of April, he's averaging 29 points per game. That's insane. Just the greatest shooter to ever walk the planet. And probably the biggest sports talking gaff that I ever had,

I just wasn't sure he was going to be athletic enough to be effective in the NBA, and I was wrong. Very wrong. Still got to the basket very well. Still was good enough. finished like a lot of tough layups as well. One of the, I would say,

underrated tough layup finishers, really in NBA history because of how much we talk about his shooting, he did have other skills. Who's that? Steph Curry. He could get to the basket and finish tough layups all the time. But anyways, we're going to take quick break here

on the Matt Thomas show coming up next. What is happening with the sports news? 12-01 here on Sports Talk 790 into hour number 3. of the Matt Thomas show. We got a lot of stuff going on. We have coming up at 1.30. It will be Hayden Wesniewski. Coming up at 12.30, it will be Astros,

manager Joe Espada. Adam Wexler will be joining us coming up at 1 o'clock as well. Right now, Chris Gordy is joining me. You can get in on anything you would like to at 713-212-5-790. 7-190-1-2-5-7-9. but now we have to recap all the top sports news items of the day in a segment we call the news at noon. All right, on to the news at noon here, Chris Gordy.

There is a lot of stuff going on in the world of sports. But here in Houston, we are focused on those Houston Astros who took the L yesterday in St. Louis. I feel like they're wasting that starting pitching staff. This one's driven to the left a long way. Back on it goes McCormick, and he'll watch it. Five. Second home run of the season for Aeronado, his third extra base hit, and it's 8-0-0-0-Saint-Lewis.

That sounds about what you would think a 8-0 solo home run call would sound like from Steve Sparks. Sunny Gray, seven innings pitch, just three hits, no earned runs, one walk, four strikeouts. He was spectacular against the Astros lineup. Fromber Valdez, less than spectacular. four innings pitch, 10 hits, seven runs, six of them earned, just one walk, but just three strikeouts for him. On the season, it has been up and down for him, Gordy. He now has a 4.50 ERA on the year. Yeah, it's contract year.

He's going to have to do better than that. I would think so. I would imagine that his agents think that he has to have a better year than that. bats quiet again for the Houston Astros. As I mentioned, Sunny Gray was very good. You did get at the end of the game. The Jeremy Pena home run. The good news is Jeremy Pena with three home runs on the season.

The bad news, still just hitting 207 with a 667 OPS. The bats at large, quiet. Here are the guys that went over for the Astros. Jose Altovae, Issoc Paredes, Yordon Alvarez. At least Christian Walker got a hit. But some of you have a heavy. hitters including Cam Smith, or you're hoping he's going to develop and do a heavy hitter. Cam Smith going over as well.

Bats continue to be quiet for the Astros as of right now. In terms of Team OPS, the Houston Astros are 23rd in baseball. 23rd. Behind the Seattle Mariners ahead of the Texas Rangers. Nowhere to go but up. They were 30th. They've gone up to 23rd. I do think there is some encouragement for Brian McTaggart's tweet

where he says Aster's record in the last six seasons after 16 games. 2020, they were 7 and 9. Wonderful. 22, they were 7 and 9. Won the World Series. 2023, they were 7 and 9. Last year, 5 and 11, this year 7 and 9. Okay.

You know what? I'm going to start the conversation with Joe Espada with that. Maybe that'll be encouraging. Skip, the last five times you started 7 and 9. You went on to play for American League Championship Series, so you've got to be encouraged by the start. You've got to be encouraged by the start. I don't know if I'm going to go.

You've got to be encouraged. But we'll... 5 and 11 last year, no, bluel. 7 and 9? We'll talk about it with Joe Espada. As we know, it's early, and it's always, it's early with baseball, whether it's good or bad. But I like it better when the team starts out, I don't know,

10 and 6, and you get to say it's early, and let's not to get ahead of ourselves. As opposed to seven and nine. The Yankees have done like the last decade. They come out of the gates all hot in April, getting everybody all fired up, crushing bombs, and then, you know, trouble in the postseason.

It did play for a World Series last year, but that's the first time in forever. Where they were like the hottest team, and they were like challenging the Seattle Mariners for most wins in a season. Everybody was on the Yankee high train. Then they completely got collapsed down the stretch. Then they said,

we want Houston, got them the ALCS, and got swept. You know what? You just made you feel a lot better. Thank you, Gordy. Let's go elsewhere on the news at noon here on Sports Talk 790. Of course, we have been talking about this. You're Houston Asht, I mean Houston Rockets. Here we go.

Houston Rockets playing on Sunday. Who will they be hosting in a game one at the Toyota Center on Sunday? It will be either of the Grizzlies and Warriors. First matchup tonight, it is the Atlanta Hawks versus the Orlando Magic. Your interest 1 to 10 in that one, Chris Gordy? I'm going to say a 2. Okay, it's a 2. Orlando favored by five and a half, wishing all those teams the best.

How about this? The 7-8 playing games in the east, you have a 40-win team and a 41-win team? In the West, it's 248 win teams. These teams almost won 50 games, and they're the 7-8 teams. Grizzlies holding as 7.5 point dogs against the Golden State Warriors. Do the Grizzlies have a shot? They have a shot. But to your point, I mean, that's what this thing was.

Remember the Rockets were 41 and 41 last year and missed the playoff game by five games or the play-in game. Yes. So, yeah, I mean, it just goes to show you. They probably should have been a playing team last year. If they had played in the East, they would have been. But as far as the matchups tonight, yeah, Hawks Magic is not getting anybody all riled up and excited. That's one of those like, you're at like an airport bar tonight or something. You pass by TV and go, oh, Hawks win it?

Oh, okay, cool. That's cool. Yeah, you keep all walking. You keep sleeping. Yeah, can I close out? Oh, wow. Yeah, Hawks are winning. Oh, Apollo.

Going off. Yeah, good for him, yeah. Yeah, Grizzlies tonight. Talking to my buddy who's close with the Memphis Grizzlies, he says they got no chance. No chance. Okay. I would like to hear that.

Well, I'm going to tell you probably has no chance because Damien Liller continues to be out. The Milwaukee Bucks will not start the playoffs with Damien Lillard, according to Sham Sharania. He, of course, has been out with those blood clot issues. Sidelined since March 18th. He is making significant progress, the report says, but he has yet to be cleared to resume full basketball activities. I think the bucks are, I mean, right now they're the five seed.

They're going to be taking on the Pacers in a first round series. They're obviously well behind the Cavaliers and Celtics to meet at full strength. Without Dame Lillard could well see them lose in the first round of the east. Yeah, we'll see. I mean, what's going to happen with these teams, Ross, in the playoffs with no coaches? Like the teams that have fired their coaches. Well, they have interims. I get it.

It's interim season, baby. Seems weird. All right. Elsewhere in the news, we talked about this earlier as well. Has generated much conversation. The Colorado Buffaloes are retiring. You dog, Gordon. Yeah, they're retiring the Jersey.

of one Shador Sanders and Travis Hunter. I mean, anytime you can get together and celebrate a... I told you got a sore throat. It's hit me. A historic season like they had this past year. I got some hot tea calling my name as soon as we get to break. My gosh. All right.

Shador Sanders, getting his number retired and Travis Hunter. Apparently, there are some Colorado Buffalo fans upset Cordell Stewart and others who are Colorado Buffalo's legends. Cordell should be pissed. Yeah, like I said, Travis Hunter, I get it. Look, dude's about to be a top five picky, won the Heisman. You went Heisman, you can get your jersey retired. I think that is definitely

I mean, above board. But Shudor, Sanders? Well, who could forget the epic game? We saw these guys last time on the field. Remember the Alamo? Getting blown up by 30 at the Alamo Dome by BYU? I mean... Yeah, weren't they talking about you trash before that game, too?

I think so. Okay, we're bringing our full squad. Yeah. I'm not trying to hate, but like, you went nine and four and lost the Alamo Bowl. Like, what are we celebrating there? I don't know. Look, next thing they'll announce, Travis Hunter is getting a statue outside the stadium. Well, he might do that.

Again, when you win the Heism, you can do whatever. I feel like they can name the stadium after you win the Heisman. That's a huge, massive honor. But Shador Sanders? It's a little hollow, and I'll say this about LSU. When Joe Burrow wins the Heisman, they go undefeated and win the National Championship, it just rings a little bit different than Jaden Daniels winning the Heisman. Was a special player, it was the best player in college football,

but what, they go, 9 and 4? that year? I mean, yeah, but still. It just, it just, it doesn't. How many Heismans is LSU have the program? Three. Yeah, so that's all. It's, it's huge. It's just, I think Texas still only has two.

Is it still Ricky and Ricky and Earl? I think so. Yeah, Quinn Ewers didn't quite get it done. Well, the next one's coming up. I'll tell you who's the betting favorite is. Yes, you know. Tell you right now, Arch Manning. How to get it done.

We'll see. We'll see. They just had that little transfer from Stanford. yesterday in the portal. Stanford's leading wide receiver, I think, from last year. That's good. Whoever that guy is, love that guy. Wishing him the best. All right, let's keep it moving on the news at noon.

Elsewhere, you have Mason, or sorry, excuse me, Sidney Crosby voted Most Complete Player by his peers. Your thoughts? Great. Don't follow NHL at all. I know. All right. Let's go to know.

You want to talk to SEC Spring Games? No, I don't. Take it down that path. No, I don't really want to talk. Who's even, how many teams are having a spring game? Georgia having a spring game? There's only a few. Yeah, they have.

Florida did. Florida had, or Georgia had theirs last weekend. Didn't even know. There were no, nothing came out of it. Hmm. Texas? They did not have one.

They were going to have a fan fest thing this weekend. Okay. Houston Texans, the latest Mel Kuiper mock draft, I, I'm going to get his name wrong. The wide receiver out of Arizona State.

Yeah. to Terra. McMillan. I thought a lot of people had him as the number one wide receiver on their board. Most do. Who goes ahead of him? They have a Mecca Egbuka going above him, which I've seen him further down on boards.

I don't know. I guess Mel Kuyper is really... Well, Travis Hunter, do you consider him the number one wide receiver in this draft? I guess. He's wide receiver slash one. Mel Kiper's got Matthew Golden going 12th overall. McMillan, a lot of people have as the number one wide receiver on their board. This Mel Kuypermock has him going as the third wide receiver to the Houston, Texas.

That'd be a hell of a fit. Totally down for it. He fell, absolutely. All right, there you go. That is your news at noon here on Sports Talk 790. We are going to take a quick break. As I mentioned, we got Joe Espada coming up at 1230. Anything you want to get to, you can get to as well.

at 713-212-5-790. 7-13-21-5-7-90. Hayden Wesniewski at 130. Joe Spada coming up at 1230 here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Welcome back to the Matt Thomas show. Ross v. Real with you. Matt Thomas with you tomorrow. He is out today.

Said he's feeling better. He tweeted out earlier. Breaking news for the first. time in five days, I don't have a fever. Now I'm going to take a nap. He says please listen to Sports Talk 790 and SportsRV. Appreciate you, Matt. Hope you feel better.

There are certain lines that, you know, pop culture that just kind of like, they ruin you because every time you hear it, like, every time I hear somebody say something about their wife, I always hear, my wife. Okay. Borat. Yes. And whenever somebody's like, I have a fever, come on.

You need more cowbell? Somebody did tweet that, actually. Is the only prescription more cowbell? That's what we appreciate Mr. Ratcliffe replying to that tweet to Matt Thomas saying You need more cowbell. So he does. Are there any other ones like that?

Something like I'm sure there are hundreds. I don't know. Of course none of them are popping in one line right now. We have a problem. I and Eagle didn't say that in the in the final four, did he? Has anybody ever been like, I want the truth?

I was, I'll tell you this, every time I watch golf on TV, like when in that playoff hole, Rory hit his approach shot, I just went, somebody's closer. I do that. Every time I'm watching golf

and that happens, I do that. I can't, it's just a response, I can't help it. I get no control over it. But try telling anybody you have a fever and see, you know. Okay.

You know, I'm going to walk around everyone and see I have a fever and see how many cowboy remarks I have. We need to do a scientific experiment here on Sports Talk 790. It is one of the greatest SNL sketches ever. Yes, it was also, God, what at this point? 27 years ago? What was that like 9798 somewhere in the neighborhood?

Was it early 2000s? Yes. Okay. Jimmy Fallon was on SNL. Oh, God. Can you know what? While we're doing just, I just don't get it. Jimmy Kimmel, his whole existence.

All he ever did on SNL was just laugh. Yeah, I'm sorry, Jimmy Fallon, not Jimmy Kimmel, whatever. Jimmy, yeah, April 8, 2000. So it was not 98, it was 2000. I'm sorry. Okay. So it was still 25 years ago. Jimmy Fallon, why is he, like, all he does is just giggle the whole time.

He does that on all the, all the interviews that he does on his late night. What is it? Whatever late night show he's on now. All those late night shows suck now. I'm sorry. Like, maybe this is his old man to me growing up. he's never made a good movie. Leno and Letterman,

and I get it, for the older crowd, they're going to be like, nobody was better than Carson, but like Leno and Letterman were awesome. You hold them that standard to these guys nowadays? These guys can't, they can't hold a candle out of these guys.

I honestly don't even really watch them, and maybe that is the indictment, but I don't really care to watch any of those shows, so I can't really comment on how good or not they are. But when it's, I'm trying to find, like, what was, Jimmy Fallon's best movie.

Taxi with Queen Latifah. Taxi with Queen Latifah. Fever Pitch with Drew Barrymore. Yeah, okay, that was 20 years ago and that movie sucked. This is what I'm getting at. Jimmy Fallon is one of the most inexplicable Hollywood careers I can think of. He's good at like standout.

No, he's not. You don't like his impressions? They're okay. I feel like there are thousands of people more talented than Jimmy Fallon that should be on TV. I'm going to have to agree with you of that. Thank you. Thank you, Jonathan.

I appreciate it. To me, Conan was the peak. You know, I'm going to write that down. Conan was good. He wasn't the peak to me. Because sometimes he was, things would fall flat. Now,

that's the nature of these programs, right? You have to write a full monologue every day. Like, you know, a comedian, he will take a year or two to write an hour of comedy. They have to write five to ten minutes of comedy

every single day. Well, they have a team of writers. They do have a team of writers. But that's so difficult. Letterman and Leno were, they had really good teams of riders. Man, I felt like a lot of Letterman's stuff. A lot of Leno stuff fell flat too. If you go back in the day and just really think, like they had the classic bits, but a lot of times they would get no laughs.

And, you know, like Conan would be getting no laughs and then he would just start playing strings on his, his belt loops. Right. Ah, nobody's laughing. Let me dance with my belt loops. Go watch a Kimmel, Colbert, or Fallon monologue today. Yeah, I don't really watch it. Count how many times you laugh. Okay.

They're the most obvious jokes ever. So you're telling me to spend my time watching something extremely. extremely unfunny. I think I'm going to have to pass. But I'll see what I... I'll try my best. I remember one of the Leno jokes, because I used to... We used to always joke about Leno, how, you know, some of those were bad, the monologue. I used to like the Daily Show back in the day and Colbert Report, but it's like everything is just... Leno really capitalized. He had a lot of O.J. jokes, a lot of Clinton-Lewinsky jokes.

Yeah, whoever's in George W. Bush, whoever's in office, you just make fun. He had some, uh, he had some joke on tonight about Kim Kardashian, and it was a full moon or something. Something. I don't know. Remember that. And then he's, now he's getting beat up by mobsters. Uh, Leno? Yeah. He's tried to, didn't he try to say he fell? No, he just fell. Oh, yeah.

Uh, yeah, I just fell down the hill. Yeah. Dude, you look like you owe $10,000 to Joe Pesci and Goodfellas. I don't think this one, folks, but fell off a bike. Yeah, that's exactly. He's somebody fell off a bike, and he looks like he's got like a pipe imprints on his arms. like these are getting beaten with a lead pipe dude come on nobody's buying that fell on a rake yeah exactly all right anyways mad thomas show with ross continues here on sports talk 790 joe spotta coming up in a few minutes chris cordie is here you can get in at 713 212 5 790 so a number of things we are going to address kind of with joe spotta i think of course we can always preach and still will preach that it is early after they lose yesterday and you got hunter brown on the mound today looking for a bounce back for the stroes and I think one of the you know we still

kind of searching around for these silver linings now that the astros lost by five yesterday they're back into the negative and run differential but it's still a situation where I think as the season goes along this is going to be a very very winnable American league west for the stroes so the fact that you're struggling sure but still very going to be very much in the race for the American League West down the stretch. So I'm feeling good about that. But don't look now, by the way. We mentioned this yesterday, actually. Mariners have won four in a row. Yeah. I mean, because they're talented enough.

They shouldn't have. The pitching staff is so good. They added, was it the trade deadline they got Randy Rosarino last year? Yes. Yeah, I mean, that was supposed to help their offense just a little bit. Marers are good to you. I think just by virtue of how this thing is going to go. it feels like it will be a three-horse race

between the Rangers, Mariners, and Astros. I think the Angels will fall away, but they are still the AOS leading angels at this moment. Yeah, I'm with you. I don't think that that's going to last extremely long. They're 6'10 right now. Do they make any effort to win more games this year?

Well, didn't they hand out like the three biggest contracts in team history or something like that over the offseason? Signing a bunch of dudes? So at least they're kind of, trying to spend some money, but... Brett Rooker's awesome, although he's only betting 188 right now. Yes.

Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom, has six home runs for the A's right now. And then the Mariners, I mean, Julio Rodriguez's slow to get going again, betting 2.10. But he's got a couple homers. Cali's got a couple homers. So really, it's about... I look around this...

I look around his division and say, I think that a Rangers still have the best offense. Yeah, probably. Best lineup. Yeah, I'd have to look to what's going on with him as far as pitching wise. I think Nathan Avaldi wasn't great the last time he went out. Hopefully he can go back to Earth, but if you take care of what's in front of you,

as we're going to talk about with Joe Spotted coming up here, it's a very winnable division. So things can get better. Long season. Yeah, but. It's early. Didn't we say we keep saying it's early until the end of the month? Yeah, I think we can keep saying it's early for a while, but it's like,

we've been doing this every year. Like you mentioned Joe, I mean, Brian McTaggart bringing up all the bad records to start the season the last several years. It's like, yeah, they got off to a slow start again. It's like it'd be cool just for one year to have like a 10 and 2 start. We're talking about how this team is going to march towards a world series, and we're feeling all good about how great they are. Just once. It's all I'm asking for.

Well, unfortunately, my name. have to be next year. All right, we're going to take a quick break here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Joe Espada is coming up next. So don't go anywhere. And also, don't be somebody that is neglecting to take care of their taxes. It is tax day. The IRS, have you received a letter from them? Do you owe them $10,000 or more? Or they say you do. Are you like, ah, tax day is past. I'm fine. No, no, no. The IRS will find you if you owe money. They will find you if you're one of the people who, they think they need to come after because they're aggressively going after independent contractors, companies that use independent contractors, small business owners.

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around the world at Parsons.com slash transportation. Lunch timers. It's the Matt Thomas Show with Ross on Sports Talk 790. Astros manager Joe Espada should be joining us momentary. here on Sports Talk 790. Astros lose 8 to 3 to the St. Louis Cardinals yesterday. They will be taking them on again at 6.45 p.m. First pitch here on Sports Talk 790. Your home for your Houston Astros. Hunter Brown on the Hill against Eric Fetty,

whose name we heard a lot during the trade deadline last year. And then tomorrow it will be Renel Blanco going up against Stephen Matt. And I remember when he was young and up and coming with the Mets way back in the day. He's been with the Cardinals for the last couple of years. That's a solid start to the year, 2.31 ERA. So far early in the season. So hopefully the Astros, after losing yesterday, can bounce back, get another series win.

They've been able to do that most of the time this year. You add it all up, though, they're 7 and 9 because one of the series they did lose was that sweep at the hand as the hands of the Giants. Did they officially announce Blanco's going tomorrow? Okay, I saw it on. I saw it on ESPN, but ESPN is notoriously. But they had that up the other day. Yeah, they're notoriously unreliable with starting pitchers,

so maybe I shouldn't have gone to that well. I just remember as of Sunday, it was still up in the air. Okay. Well, guess what? There's a man we can talk to about it when he gets on. That would be Joe Espada. Should be here momentarily. Hopefully we'll get him on here as we'll continue to be talking to Strauss here.

20 hours ago. Okay. He got lost, Ronel, Blanco. I don't know what the whole, why. I don't know. I don't know why that was kind of up for question. Yeah, I'm not exactly sure either. So, hmm, sounds like we're all good to go, though.

Hopefully he can be okay. So far on the season, Renal Blanco, one in one with a 6.9 for ERA. We're talking about this as far as, like, before the season. He was due for a little bit of regression, just depending on you look at some numbers. ERA, not always the most reliable indicator of how good a pitcher has been. And there was going to be some regression, but this feels like a little bit too much of a correction. and hopefully Renal Blanco can turn it around because otherwise, even with Spencer

Erigetti going down with the broken thumb, Ryan Gusto was solid enough there on Saturday, still feeling pretty good about the rotation, and I'm really intrigued to see what happens with Lance McCuller Jr. That to me is one of the great question marks. Where are we in a year from now? What are we going to be talking about? Do we're going to say, yeah, he came back for a few starts

and he got hurt again. Oh, well, it's Lance McCullochler Jr. That's what we've seen from him. or we're going to hear some great Renaissance story to where he had and went through all these trials and tribulations and he went through these injuries and all these setbacks and he came back and he had a really good 2025

or perhaps somewhere in between in between Yeah I don't know man I this this pitching staff is like I saw Colton Gordon Gordon I think goes tonight for Sugar Land he is next man up apparently with Dana Brown said over

the weekend that if they needed a spot starter at this point. Because Ryan Gusto, I think as of right now, he is part of the rotation now, right? Like he was... Yes. I think as of right now. Took that spot. So this will be interesting to see how they handle the next couple weeks. You got an off day Thursday next week. I believe you play every single day next week.

Or no, you get another Thursday off. So at least they have the built-in off-day that will continue to kind of help them reset. I think right after that, though, there's a pocket of games where they do. don't have a day off for a while right after that if you have the schedule popped up. Yeah, those are just always tough, man, because it's like you've got to dive right back into this thing. And, you know, it's like if any starter struggles at all, you got to go to the bullpen, it just puts, it puts everything, you know, it just throws everything off.

Like, it's a lot harder to get through, you know, get through a season. When a starter burns out early, you got to go to the bullpen and then you don't have a day off for multiple, you know, a week plus. It's just tough. Yeah, we have Forrest Whitley into rehab right now. Caleb Ort is scheduled to play for or to pitch for AAA Sugar Land. That would be today and tomorrow. So they want to use him back-to-back days.

So it sounds like he should be coming back very soon. And you got Sean Dubin starting a rehab assignment with AAA Sugarland this weekend. So should be able to get some guys back, especially we've been talking about the bullpen and which guys are going to go to and trying to figure out who the, who the 6th inning guys are if a starter does get chased early in games. But the good news is those names, while they're not all a bunch of

locked down guys who are going to come in and get 1, 2, 3 every single inning, at least there are options. There are people that Joe Spada can possibly turn to and at some point can turn into reliable relievers. Forrest Whitley, we got updated on him yesterday. He will throw an inning plus tomorrow. Today, Tuesday?

Tomorrow for AAA Sugar Land. And after that, could be ready to rejoin the Major League Club. So his rehab's going well. And then Caleb Oort, he is going to go back to back Tuesday and Wednesday. So tonight and tomorrow. And then we'll kind of see where he's at. And then Sean Dubin, Ether Alive BP, yesterday. He will join AAA this weekend.

So they're all kind of staggered. Like Forrest Whitley sounds like he's about ready to come back up. Caleb Ort is right behind him and then Sean Dubin expected to join AAA this weekend and then he'll be another option. So, you know, look, Logan Van Wye making the most of his opportunity.

He'll probably be the first guy set down. I think you really got to consider Louise Contreras. I think so. You know, it's, I don't know. He's been okay. Last night he goes two innings, gives up the one run off three hits,

but his ERA is at nine. They were just asking him to eat it. Hey, look, man, we're down by a, bunch, can you just go eat up some innings for us? And both he and Bennett-Suson did that. Ben-Susa was a nice showing for him yesterday, and he already has zero on the season. But yeah, Contreras seems like the... Logan Van Wai and Luis Contreras seem like the most obvious candidates to go back down

if Forrest Whitley comes back up this week and Caleb Bork comes back up. Yeah, that makes sense. I mean, we're just talking about we, you know... This bullpen, man, it's quite the mismatch once you get out of Josh Hader and Brian Abrayu and things in... You've got some guys that are pitching lights out, and then you've got other ones that are struggling. Struggling.

Like our good friend Taylor Scott. Yes. It's not been the best 2025 for Taylor. It wasn't really the best end of 2024 for him. He was really good to start the season, really played an important role for the Astros, and trying to be in a guy who was, I mean, absolute nails for them.

For a stretch last year was your most reliable reliever. Yes. Would totally agree with that. stretch a long stretch, for a long stretch. I mean, Josh Hader and Brian and Bray, who got of the gates bad, are poorly, but Brian and Bray really, really turned into form as the season went along. I want to say, like, after the first month of the season, his ERA was under three. So he was pretty good. He was able to turn it around after a rough start, but up and down for Josh Hater, but he's been really good. He's been your best reliever as of this moment in terms

of the guys. You have four relievers within ERA sub-120. Okay. Can you name them? I'm going to go with Josh Hader One Bennett Sousa Benet Sousa 2 He has an area of zero Small sample size

Three to third innings Okay Logan Van Why No he's right He's three Sorry never mind All right then who else Oh wait Don't say it's Raphael Montero's one

Stephen Oker Okay Is one it's one 17 Uh huh And the other one Go ahead Brian King Oh yeah Brian King

I should have noticed. Eight games played this year and he already is zero. Brian King, man. Brian King, the greatest of all the time. Coming out of nowhere. McNeese State stand up. Yeah, we appreciate him. And we had him on last year.

And he was talking about McNee's State and places to eat in Lake Charles. I am reaching out to the Astros PR department. They are letting Joe Spada know. It is time for his interview. So hopefully we can get him pretty soon. Actually, what we're going to go ahead and do is we'll take a break now. and hopefully hear from Joe Espada when we come back. So we're going to go ahead and do that, take it a little bit early,

just in case Joe Espada calls soon, so we'll be able to have the full conversation with him. So quick break here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross and Sports Talk 7. Already, hopefully back with Astros manager Joe Espada. T minus 5. The rockets are back. Four, three, two. One state, actually, two stations to hear it all.

Left up. On Sports Talk 790 and 740 a. Feels good to be back in the playoffs. Home for Rockets Playoff basketball. Now to drive on Sports Talk 790. From the Honda of Clearlake.com, traffic center. All right, if you're coming in from Umbl or Kingwood on the Eastex Freeway, about a 20-minute ride now from the Grand Parkway into downtown,

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Still patiently awaiting. to hear back from Joe Espada. Could be possibly tied up. That's okay. Things happen. Hope everything's all right. Hoping there's no breaking news of any setbacks or anything like that with the team. Did any other fly ball just happen to hit the hand of a picture? I hope not.

At least that now. BP is not for a little while, I don't think. But you never know. Workouts or guys could be getting loose and hopefully, you know what, just hope everything's okay. Maybe he, maybe it's just a long line wherever he's grabbing lunch. I don't know where one does grab lunch and St. Louis. Maybe they made a massive trade and we'll find out about it. Ooh, huge blockbuster trade with breaking news.

He probably wouldn't join us if that did happen, but that's okay. Here on Sports Talk 790. What is happening? What is tied up Joe Espana? We will find out hopefully sooner rather than later here on Sports Talk 790. We are scheduled to have Hayden Wesniewski coming up at 130. We'll also have Adam Wexer taking over the baton from Chris Gordy. But yes, calling in right now, actually,

your Astros Skipper. Joe Espotted joining us here on a Sports Talk 790 as he does every week on Tuesdays, normally at 1230. A few minutes late, but that is okay. We are happy for his time. Nobody got hit on a thumb and a freak accident or anything, Joe. Is everybody okay over there? Yeah, everybody's okay.

Just had a little family issue. I needed to address. Okay. Well, I hope everything's all right. All right. Let's go ahead and talk about, well, with the team yesterday, obviously not going the way that you wanted. Been a little bit of an up and down season.

Of course, as we know, I saw this from Brian McTaggart. Did you know that you guys have started seven and nine now, five out of the last six years, four of those going to the ALCS. So, I mean, it's not the worst omen ever. There you go. There you go.

I'll take that. You know, and you said it. You know, it's kind of be a little up and down, you know, the first, two weeks of the season. You know, it's been kind of a struggle, finding consistency on a few areas of our game. But, you know, for the most part, I've been pleased, you know, we are getting some pretty good pitching, you know, offensively, some up and downs. I feel like we're doing some good things at the plate.

We're finding a way to get on base by walking something we didn't do. Well, last year, I think we are right now like fifth in the league in walk rate. seeing a ton of pitches we just haven't been able to really capitalize on those innings when we find a lot of people on base so we'll continue to keep grinding and we'll find a way to get through this

Yeah it's funny it's been up and down to the extent where you guys haven't won two games in a row And Fromber who pitched for you last night has kind of been that guy up and down What is happening to him Especially in a start like last night where he's giving up more extra base hits than he ever has in a start?

You know what? I think, you know, yesterday it's something that we, you know, we don't get to see Valdez have nights like that very often. You know, I just found his pitches were up in the zone. Sinker, not really down inducing the ground balls. Early in the game, it did. But, you know, kind of third, fourth inning stuff starting to stay up. He's breaking ball.

Usually he varies that pitch with two strikes, get swinging misses. he wasn't getting the width that he normally that he normally gets him. He'll put this behind him and we'll get ready for the next one. Skip, we talk about your pitching and, you know, how good it's been particularly in the bullpen as well so far this year. But you look at the opponent's your face. I mean, the Angels coming out of this weekend,

I think we're leading baseball in home runs hit. And then you go to this series with the Cardinals who lead all the baseball and batting average. And I just watching that team last night for the first time this year, year, like they just put up such good, hard at bats. It's hard to get out in that in that lineup. Well, you know, is that what we can expect more of that these next couple of games? Yeah, and you know, they have a pretty good balance lineup. They got some lefties, righties, they can platoon, you know, they can have some guys with the bench.

I can come in and give you quality of bats. They got back to both skills. They do have some speed. So it's not an easy lineup to navigate. So we need to make our adjustments and win this one, with this one today. I was out, you know, it was out of spring training early in camp and, you know, when pitchers and catchers report. I know it. I saw you guys work on it every day. The catchers with Victor and Yonair, you know, throwing balls to first, throwing balls a second, throw balls to third. It seems like this year those teams are being a little bit more aggressive on you guys and taking bases. Is that, I mean, obviously you guys see it.

What can you do to counterbalance that other than just continue to work with your catchers on timing and being, you know, the recognition of guys on base and when they're, you know, looking like they're going to steal. Yeah, but you know what? It will take more than just the catchers throwing guys out. We need an opportunity. My pitchers need to give us a little better, more time for those guys to throw people out. We need to do a better job interrupting the running game, you know, not asking for us to leak-leak and cock stealing, but we need to, you know, reduce the amount of stolen-based

attempts that we are getting early this year. And we are highlighting that we try to make. some adjustments. I think the last couple of games have been better, picking the guys, you know, that we know they're going to run, the council are going to run, asking our pitches to hold the ball, some slight steps. You know, they're also

the element of the clock is also something that teams are using. We need to do a better job of using the clock to time our picks to first or inside moves and such such as things. Talking with manager Joe Espada and Skip, you know, one of the biggest storylines throughout spring training, of course, was, oh my gosh,

Altuvae and left and you know what's that going to look like small sample size through the first few weeks but man I'd see you guys are one of the better teams defensively and those defensive metrics and so far so good with Altuvae left and Cam Smith and right I feel like both those guys have been doing their job yeah they'd be they'd be working their their assets off man credit to them you know I think we you know we we work really hard this off season to

consider making these moves and and we know we did it thinking about the sacrifices that some of these players we're going to have to make moving positions and Altuva's been such a pro. And, you know, it's only been two weeks. We've got a lot of room, a lot of room to grow as a club. But, you know, so far we're finding ourselves in the top five in the defensive matrix. And credit goes to our players and our coaches that are going to get in these players ready to play. Yeah, and Joe, I think we've talked about this before.

I am the president of the Jake Myers fan club. I think he also deserves some credit. I mean, what makes him so good to you out there in center field? Is it just the reads, the jumps, and just everything, the speed? Everything. You know, he gets good jumps. His perception off the ball off the bat is excellent. Something that we also seen of Jake this year, he's been actually more of a leader on the outfield,

having two inexperienced outfielers next to him to his left and right. So he has been taking more charge, moving those guys, you know, be more vocal. you know, moving those guys we count. And we, you know, we need to give Jake Myers some credit of the development of both Altrui and Ken Smith and defense also in the outfield. A lot of credit goes to Jake. He's really taking charge out there in the outfield. Skip, I saw the, obviously the torpedo bats became a big topic a couple weeks ago across

the league. I saw Mauricio Dubon pregame on Sunday in the clubhouse. And he was showing us his torpedo bat. he was all excited about it. And sure enough, a hit on Sunday, two hits last night. Is it just happens to answer? Or is this thing maybe working for Doobie? I think he's working for Doobie, but let's not take anything away from his ability to get the barrel to the ball.

You know, he knows how to do that. So, you know, maybe some credit, he really likes the bat. So maybe some credit to the bat. He feels like he's getting, you know, the right part of the bat, the barrel on the ball. and he feels like the bull is jumping a little bit more off his bat. And, you know, anything that you can use to, you know, build confidence, this guys are willing to use that. And so far, this is working out for Dubon.

Astros manager, Joe Espada, with us here on Sports Talk 790. State of the rotation, as it is right now, Ryan Gusto, with a pretty solid start for you on Saturday, and is tab to start again. how you feeling about where you are there and also Lance McCuller's Jr., where we're feeling about his progress? Lance McCullough, Jr., feeling really good about his progress.

He'll make it start this weekend with our double-A club. And if that goes well, he's knocking on the door, he's making his first major league starting a couple of years. So I'm really happy for him, thrill about where he's at right now. His level of confidence is, you know, over the roof right now.

So I feel really good about that. And we still gave us a pretty good start. You know, right now we are talking things through. I also like the way he has come and solidify our pen. But, you know, he's that arm that can be used in a hybrid role where he can give you starts. He can come in and give you some multiple innings out of the bullpen. But he did a really nice job and he's first started with us. And on Lance McCullors, Jr., what have your conversations been like with him?

Because I remember, like, for example, when Charlie Morton first came, to Houston. He had had major injuries, and he talked about being injury prone and being, you know, that's a term that I don't really like. And it was something that's kind of mentally in the back of his mind. And we all kind of feel like that with Lance McCuller Jr. He's unfortunately had these setbacks, but, you know, Charlie Morton's been healthy every year since he first got here. So wanting that for Lance McCullors Jr., I'm just curious what your conversations have been like that in the approach of the organization as well. You know what? I'm going to start. I think the biggest part of Lance station right now where he's at is his state of mind. He is in a really good place. He is, he's worked really hard to accept the fact that this injury has been part of his career. He is, he understands the changes he had to make to his routine. He, you know, he's a man of faith where he put everything in the United States. He is, he understands the changes he had to make to his routine. He, you know, he's a man of faith where he put everything in.

the hands of God. And I feel like moving forward, he is in a place where, you know, Joe, I know where I'm at. I'm getting a second chance. I'm going to make the best out of these second chance. You know, he said, Joe, you know, I'm the team, these organization have given me so much that I'm willing to give back, whatever it takes for me to get back on the mount. And he's doing that. And when your mind is in the right place, I think your heart follows. And, and that's where Lanz is. And once we get him back and we get him going, I think he could be a big piece for us because when he's healthy, he's a really good pitcher.

All right, Joe Espada, with us here on Sports Talk 790. Thanks for the time, Joe, and well, when you need a bounce back win, not bad to have Hunter Brown on the mound. That's right. That's right, fellas. We have him on the mound and he's ready to go. He knows the importance of this games, getting this game today. Maybe we're a serious tomorrow.

All right. Thanks a lot. Appreciate the time. We'll talk to you down the road. All right, fellas. I skip. Thank you. All right. There you go. Harder Brown, what, three appearances so far this year? Six innings at all of them? Two runs

scored, two runs or less than all. So three. Got feelings. I said it. Seven innings a two-run ball. Let's go. I'm ready for it. I know Joe Spada is ready for it as well. All right, quick break here on Sports Talk 790. Rosviorea with you. Chris Gordy is going to be passing the baton to Adam Wexler. Appreciate you hanging out, Gordy. Thank you for the time as always. Adam Wexler is coming up. We're going to Talk, Stroze, Rockets, all that good stuff with him. We also have Hayden Wesniewski coming up at 130.

Anything you want to get to, you want to react to anything Joe Espada had to say as well. Phone lines open and available for you. 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-7-90. Hour number four of the Matt Thomas Show with Ross coming up next. Our number four of the Matt Thomas show with Ross. without Matt Thomas. Chris Gordy hanging out for the majority,

but now we've brought in the closer. We've brought in the big righty. He's ready to go. Also an opener. Warmed up at the clock. That's true. Wait a minute. You're a closer and an opener. This is very confusing.

He's double dipping here on Sports Talk 790. He'll be on the 8th team coming up 2 to 6 here on Sports Talk 790. For my purposes, I'm leaving it too. So to me, you're the closer. All right? That's what I'm saying. Adam Wexler is here. Matt Thomas remains. out sick. You could get in at 713, 212, 5, 790 if you'd like.

Jonathan Allen has been here the whole show. And, well, we've been talking about a number of different things. Thanks to Joe Spada for joining us in the last segment. We've been talking a lot of Astros. We'll get to some rockets and some playoff matchup stuff as well, especially after I got yelled at by your partner yesterday, about how much he wants the Golden State Warriors. We definitely will have to discuss that.

But yesterday, the Astros were down 8 to nothing, and that was really demoralizing. At least Jeremy Pena hit a three-run home run at the end to make it look a little bit better. Yeah, I guess the scoreboard looked a little bit better. It's good for the run differential. Those that were looking at the game throughout or listening to it here on Sports Talk 790, we're not fooled. A five-run loss is not a good loss either. A game where you put very, very little pressure on Sunny Gray and just really couldn't get anything going on a night where your ace could not get guys from crushing baseball.

So I didn't hit the ball over the fence all evening, but a ton of hard hit contact off for Frumber, a ton of traffic off of him, a very unfromber-like appearance, you know, pushing towards career worsts and hits allowed and runs allowed and only able to get 12 out. It's the only good news, I think, for the ongoing days, even though they have a day off Thursday, you didn't really have to use anybody else to get the final 12 outs. Benetsusa and Luis Contreras were able to get those. And you move into today with Hunter Brown. shout out to my dog Louise Contreras.

I don't know how long he is for this roster. Caleb Ort and Forrest Whitley should be joining shortly, but we appreciate you for your service. But yeah, we mentioned that with Joe Spada, kind of the last thing, like, hey, you need a win. You need to feel good about yourself. Hunter Brown, not a bad guy to have out there on the hill, but they are going against a pretty good Cardinals' offense,

what they have been, number one in batting average, number two, and team OPS so far early going into the season. So still could be pretty tough. Vegas does slightly favor the Astros at a minus 130 plus 110 for our friends over in St. Louis. That means what we think it means. Hunter Brown's awesome, and Vegas realizes that.

And when he goes out there, it almost doesn't matter what the other team has. And Vegas, let's say, feels good about the Astros' chances to win. I don't blame them. Speaking of what the Cardinals have, would you say they have the best half-Dutch, half-Japanese American-born Major League Baseball player ever? If this show we're doing right here was an addition of family feud, it couldn't even be a category. 100 people surveys, top one answer on the board. There's not a second answer.

Lars Newt Bar! It's got to be the only one. It's just fun to say. I also don't like when he gets multiple hits. But, I mean, Nolan Arnado with the home run and this Cardinals offense is really tough. And we keep saying like, okay, they've been going up against some tough. pitching because Sunny Gray was really good yesterday, but in theory, the St. Louis Cardinals are supposed to be going against some tough pitching as well. You can still get hits

against tough pitching, and the Astros' offense has not done that. Yeah, that's the other side of it. The Cardinals, or the, yeah, the Cardinals' offense might have been going up against tough pitching, but they're really, really good. And so they were able to do it. When the Astros go against insert name of pitcher, they're still bringing their terrible offense every day. It has not mattered enough who's going against them because they're being very consistently as an offense. Two great days on Friday and Sunday at home against the Angels do not mask their roughly daily inability to put a bunch of hits together. They had a bunch of big innings, too, which is nice in those two blowout games offensively, a five-run second in the Sunday finale

and two big endings back to back in the Friday night game. Those are usually the signs of, well, that means he got a hit, and this guy kept the train rolling, this guy got an extra base hit. And it did happen in those two games, but there have been 13 others. And it's been extremely, rare and obviously it did not happen yesterday. Yeah, it's not the, it hasn't been a lot of the, even in kind of those games, you got a grand slam, you got some three-run homers or at least one three-run home run, so it's been some of that. consecutive hitters reach base in that inning where you hit the grand slam. That's pretty good. That just hasn't been, it feels like that has been one of the hallmarks

of this Astros' offense, and of course a lot of the names have changed, a lot of the faces have changed, and that's the reason for a lot of this was that it wasn't always the home run. It was, as you said, keeping it going. The passing of the baton is always the word that was used. Get on base somehow, some way, and just keep that train rolling, and we just have not seen that pretty much at all. Anytime the last couple of years where we would have come in here taking phone calls or posts on social media and, man, the asteros have got to get it going. The bottom of their lineup is no good. Their lineup isn't long anymore. They get to the bottom and it's just automatic outs. It doesn't matter this year. It's the top of

the order. One through four, not a rookie, not a rookie, not a rookie, not a rookie. Those guys have got a hit. Those guys have to do much, much more than what they're doing. Jose Altuve's quick start is fading quickly. You know, Issoc Paredes, by far, even including Al Tuve, has been the most consistent of these four players. He's usually finding a way at least to reach base or, you know, he's hit well at both at home and on the road. Nobody else can really say that. And then you get to three and four. Your run producers, they've both gotten off to bad seasons, and they both have a track record. This major league baseball hitting thing isn't new to them. You know, it is to Yon.

or it is to Jeremy Pena, so to speak, a second and third year full-time player. Anybody else you want to look at? It is the top four. The top four in the Astros lineup has been very, very poor to start the season. I was shocked. Gordy brought this up earlier.

I didn't realize. Christian Walker only has two runs batted in. He's knocked in a teammate once all year. He hit himself around the bases on his homer. He's knocked in a teammate only once. We're going to play game 17 today. How is that possible? How?

He's gotten a few hits with bases empty, and he's gotten a lot of outs with the bases, a full or partially full of teammates. He's been bad. I mean, I don't know any other way to say it. I'm not trying to pile on the guy. The numbers are what they are, and he has at least shifted from looking bad in his at-bats and striking out a ton, probably through the first 10 or so games. His at-bats look better.

He is drawing walks. He's swinging at more strikes because he's forcing pitchers to throw strikes. He's not going out of the zone quite as much, but we're still not. seeing the necessary results in order to produce runs. Yeah, at least if you go by the numbers early on him, he was not walking at all and he was whiffing a ton. To me, maybe that means he's pressing, swinging in a little bit too much, but as you mentioned, the walks have been coming.

He was on a four-game streak of two walks a game. Didn't get one yesterday, but eight walks in the last five games, at least we can feel like that's a step in the right direction. A step in the right direction from is it bats and something we can discuss here on the show today with me, sitting in this particular seat when it's not occupied by its usual inhabitant. Yordaun Alvarez's results still aren't good. Jordan Alvarez's process probably is just fine, especially last night again.

He's just crushing baseballs into gloves twice last night. He had the hardest hit ball in the game last night. His bat speed is better than it was a year ago. But the results have not been there. He, like most of his teammates, have had a little bit of an issue coming through. through when the opportunity is presented. And that's where Christian Walker is probably in the biggest spot. You know, 13 at bats this year with runners in scoring position.

He's got two hits. He's hitting 154. It's just not happening enough. And as is always the case, it seems like to me, maybe you feel like otherwise, and we can certainly look at the numbers. Yiner, 13 at bats, Bredis 12, Pena 13, Altuvae 16, Myers and Walker, 13, with runners in scoring position. Alvarez, 8.

It's not that it always works out that way because teams are doing things intentionally when certain spots in the order come up. He has walked four times with runners and scoring position. He's gotten a hit three times. But everybody else on the team, basically, that plays every day, has been in a situation to hit with runners and scoring position more often than your biggest hitter. I'm glad you brought that up by Jordan. I made me bring up his page. Yeah, his average X velocity is up from last year. XBA is looking decent

But it's below his career numbers Yeah our good friend Ex-Wobacon He's looking pretty good Can you help the listeners out with that? I don't remember it is It's expected weighted on base average

And then I can't remember what the con is I honestly I've heard you know Wobah and X and all those Not the bacon I haven't heard about the bacon too much That's even deeper into the advanced numbers Well, just to let you know his ex-Wol bacon is looking good, so we're hopefully going to be okay. Like, I feel like today's the kind of day.

Eric Fetty's a good, not great pitcher. Another right-handed. When contact is made, that's where the con comes. Okay. I feel like I want to say he hits one over the fence today. Maybe we're going to see some of the more 375, 95, 4015-foot shots from Yordon at some point. And it just feels like the way he finished the homestand, the way he started yesterday. and got a bat off, which I found interesting.

Maybe today's today. But it doesn't mean he's a stabbed out of it. So for like, I don't know, the 20th show in a row, because after the 14-inning game, we didn't do shows. It was the weekend. So I will say, the bats will turn, things will improve.

We'll continue to say it at some point. They won't be where they are. You talked about it, I think, before the season began when I was on here with you, where to expect them to be this year. I don't expect them in the bottom 10, which is where they are, and I don't expect them in the top 10. But they should be in the middle of the pack at worst, even with an unproven group. There's too many guys that are proven that likely will come back to that at some point. So an offense that scores somewhere in the top 15, a team with an OPS, hopefully, close to the top 12.

That's a reasonable expectation. But it also means for the final 146 games, they're going to be significantly better than this. a 16-game sample size. You're saying the stocks are down, but buy now. I got you. I'm not trying to make a fortune, but I am trying to make some money. Again, I don't expect it to go through the roof where I'm buying low and selling super high.

I'm going to sell when it's higher. Okay. The bear market for the Astros, here comes the bull. That's what Adam. Should I write you down for gut feeling, Yordon Alvarez, home run tonight? It is a gut feeling Tuesday on the Matt Thomas show. You can write it down. Sure.

Okay. All right. We're going to take a quick break here. That is Adam Wexer. he is graciously hanging out for an extra hour with me today with Matt Thomas out. You want to join. You can. 713-212-5-7-90 is the phone number.

We got Hayden Wesniewski coming up at 130, and you at 7-132-1-3-212-5-7-9. Hayden Wesniewski. Astros pitcher and home-grown Houston product coming up in the next segment here on Sports Talk 790. SciFair High School. Was there somebody else? Was there somebody else that you also transferred high school? There's all these sighs in these creeks and it's very confusing. Was he SciFair through and through? I can't recall.

I believe that's the case. Good for him. Also a Sam Houston State Bearcat and also has been pretty solid career high 10 strikeouts on Sunday for Hayden Wisnowski. He will join us coming up in the next segment here on Sports Talk 790. That was the voice of Adam Wexer. He is here hanging out in the place of Matt Thomas, he should be back tomorrow. We think, at least he gave us the update on Twitter. His fever has broken. Thank you, Matt, for the breaking news there, folks.

So hopefully he'll be back tomorrow. He's been out sick. And I've been kind of sick, so you might have to be coming in for me. I don't know. I need to wipe this down. I don't know if you're moving over here or if I'm playing this, but we're going to try to get a full wipe down for you. He's been coughing and everything out there.

Just make sure you clean that up. All right, thank you. You didn't have to snitch on me, JK. I said I haven't been feeling well. Man, come on. Yes, I was. I said I wasn't feeling good. I mean, the first person is usually the one who wins when they say, I can't come in today.

The second one's a little more difficult. Yeah, I get a tough through it, but I'm feeling fine. It's just a few coughing fits here and there. I'm going to make it. We're going to make it. All right, we got Hayden Wazness and Essie coming up, as I said. We've been talking a little bit of Astros. You guys can get in if you'd like.

713, 21, 2, 1-790. 7-1-2-1-2-5-790. So as I mentioned, I was talking about this with your co-host yesterday. I imagine you guys got into it somewhat, or I remember him talking to you about the Scott Foster thing and him being called in and Tony Brothers or whatever as the fixers. But anyways, regardless of all that, just as the on-floor matchups, how much of a rooting interest do you have in Grizzlies Warriors tonight from a Houston Rockets perspective? I think it's pretty significant, even though they have the same record and everybody in the West, other than OKC essentially has the same record. there's only a four-game difference between two and eight. Did a little bit of extremely important four years' worth of NBA play in tournament history.

Oh, I love this. Earlier today. I love Wexbook reports. The worst team in NBA history in the play in tournament, the only team that's 0 for three is Golden State. Okay. They've played three times, one year losing both games. I didn't know that.

They have never won a play in tournament game. They are favored to win. They are at home. And home teams in the 7-8 game are six wins and two losses. It's pretty normal for the team in the seventh spot to win all four Western Conference 7-8 games have been decided by six points or less in the four years we've had the play in Toronto, one game going overtime. So I would expect, and I would have expected it before I gave you the data,

that Memphis would be able to put up a fight. Remember, it was not that long ago these two teams met, and Steph, he was pretty good in that game. Do you recall how he performed against Memphis earlier this month? Was that when he dropped 52? He had a 52-point game on April Fool's Day in Memphis, so that was even a road game. But the Grizzlies or the Warriors have been pretty much the same team home and road this year. He was awesome.

He was totally completely unstoppable. And the Warriors gave up 125 points to the Grizzlies. They needed him to continue scoring. They needed him to be on fire. He hit 12 threes in that game. And then three games later, he hit one shot because the Rockets know how to defend and actually care about it. That's why I think Memphis is not a good bet. to beat them because they just try to outscore you.

Look what happened to them when they played Minnesota the final week of the season. They gave up 52 points in the third quarter. For whatever reasons, they fired their head coach. They certainly don't play any. They don't play defense the way you need to. And maybe you can turn on the switch and play differently. You have Jerry Jackson Jr. But in terms of the result in who comes to Houston starting Sunday for their best of seven,

I think there's a pretty significant difference between these two teams. It's nice that the Rockets know for a fact they can beat. the Butler Curry Warriors. They just did it. But they also played them five times, lost three times, were down by 31 points in the first half of one of those pre-butler games. And even though the Rockets have changed personnel, coaching staff, and essentially everything,

the history between the Rockets and the Curry Warriors, and they're still the Curry Warriors, it's just not very good. And now you're going to try to beat them four times. You've beaten them two times in five years. You're going to try to beat them four times in two weeks. Playing Memphis is different. Memphis is no, to me, they're no different than Houston in terms of playoff experience,

playoff excellence, expecting them to win. They're back down at the bottom of the standings for a reason. Again, even though there's not a ton of difference, they're not as good as Golden State. Yeah, I mean, I totally agree with all that. And you didn't even mention, like, I think it kind of sounds like I'm joking, but I'm not. The number one reason I don't want the Warriors to face the Rockets is I don't want Dremont to injure somebody. Remember when he raked James Hardin in the face?

He's done it to Nicola Yokic. He's done it to LeBron James. He's done it to Sabonis. He's done it to Cesar Adams. He steps on Subonis. He's kicked Stephen Adams in the nuts. He goes with a flying elbow to Alperin Shingun. On Shingoon honestly should have been suspended for five games.

That was 100% completely intentional in my mind. He wasn't suspended for even a minute. He wasn't even kicked out of the game. Literally ask Adam Silver. Go up to the basket. What happens? Your elbows lock out. Your arms go up. He was not going to the basket. That was an intentional flying elbow to the face of Alpern-Shingoon. He would have been pushing and shoving and enjoying with all game.

And when you put it all together, this guy is a scumbag. I mean, you could argue he should be out of the league. And I'm seriously, maybe I'm overreacting, but I'm like definitely afraid somebody's going to get hurt. Yeah, it might turn into where you both teams lose a player. It could turn into a physical altercation type of scenario. up some one who was that was the two players he had like locked up their elbows and then fell to the ground like Kevin love could get his shoulders separated how many players deep are you into this conversation he's with him with you haven't even mentioned rudy gober yet no i haven't he's headlocking the guy

he's trying to decapitate him the uh all right we need to we need to have a conference call we need to get uh draymond on the phone let's get uh joe dumars before he works for the pelicans and get him in here let's get our discipline committee here adam if you have some time could you join us. All right, who has the file? I know it's heavy. Does somebody have the wheelbarrow? Does somebody have the cart that we use to wheel in the still using paper file on Draymond Green? So we say it's a terabyte thumbstick now. Yes. So we can discuss all the history as we decide what his on-court future will hold. I'd make one note about Memphis, even though I'm not giving a ton of respect to their post-seasons.

They've made the postseason three times with John Morant won one of those four series. He's been really good in the postseason. He's been significantly better in the postseason than in the regular season. Awful shooter in the regular season. 36% from deep in the postseason. 22 and a half points per game in the regular season, 27 in his 19 game postseason history. I don't know that it will be elevated again, but his history says when the brightest lights are on and he's not suspended, he's been very good. Yeah, he's going to be problematic. And I think even though the rockets have a lot of good perimeter defender, he can still get his against the rocket. He's just, his quickness, his

0 to 20, then 0 to 50, then 0 to 0 to anything with John Moran is extremely fast and extremely hard to defend. At no point when he has the basketball, does he feel like you've stopped him on his way to the basket? You might think that. Oh, he's 10 feet out. I cut him off. We double teamed him. His ability

to get to the basket, get up and over you. NBA just released their top 10 regular season plays of the year, and there were technically more than 10, but he was in there three times. That's pretty good. That Sharon Jackson Jr. guy, I think, is a matchup problem for the Rockets, too. But all right. Jaylen also made an appearance with his dunk over Cade Cunningham.

Oh, that's good. I like that. Had some staying power. That was during the first two weeks of the season. Hmm. That would be the same Jalen Green that is the only top four pick in the 21 draft to not make an All-Star appearance. Yeah, he's no Franz Wagner. Well, who is?

All right, we're going to take quick break here. we come back. Hayden Wesneski, Astros starting pitcher and Houston product will be joining us here on Sports Talk 790. Adam Wexler is here hanging out. Matt Thomas is out sick. My name is Ross via real and we'll be back with Hayden Wiseneski. The Matt Thomas show with Ross continues here on Sports Talk 790. Ross Vierreau with you. Matt Thomas is out sick. Adam Wexler joining and right now we're also pleased to be joined by Hayden

Wesniewski Astros starting pitcher, Houston product as well. Hayden, I think this is now, we're becoming good friends now. I talked to you at Fanfest. We had you at spring training. Now we have you on the show. Appreciate you joining us. Just overall, how are things settling for you in Houston as part of the Astros? I mean, I know your head had to be spinning at some point. It's got to be pretty cool. And now pitching well with a good start on Sunday as well. Oh, man, how's it going? Yeah, at this point, I'm coming on here all the time.

No, it's... We're going to send you a paycheck now. No, I wouldn't mind that, be honest with you. But, no, it's been going well. Things have flowed down. I'm handling it better. You just don't know how things are going to go, you know, with being in your hometown and seeing people

and just trying to get your feet underneath you. And at the end of the day, you got those strikes and figure out how to win ball games. So I try to make that to the forefront of everything. I know that's kind of a generic. Eric answer, but that's the honest truth on how to stay around. And so it's just, it's, it's nice to get your feet underneath you. And to be, to be honest with you, you just get comfortable in the spot you're at, right? No question. And one way to do that, and I'm curious, you know, when I go to the game,

especially with the starting pitchers or when we're watching on TV, I try to pay attention to what the other starter is not throwing that day. Where are they sitting on the bench? Who are they sitting with? what is being discussed if I can discern it. And so as you get your feet underneath you with being a new teammate during games where you're not starting, are you sitting with Hunter? Are you sitting with whom are you sitting with as you walk through the game, kind of watching what unfolds? And how has that helped you? Well, I haven't had this question before.

This is a big one you don't realize. I mean, I spend a lot of time on the bench watching games. And so, yeah, Hunter is one of them. Ryan Gusto, who's starting right now. who's moved to the starting rotation. I hang out with him sometimes. A lot of times the starters hang out the starters. But, like, you have, the Astros are a different team, and they're very comfortable.

So I kind of move around and I try to talk to guys. Like Jake Myers, the guys that are playing, I necessarily try to, I don't try to talk to them unless they're talking to me kind of thing. Because they take it more serious and they're doing their job, right? So I don't want to get in the way ultimately, but Altuve does a really good job of going around the bench and kind of talking to everybody. I know that's kind of a weird thing, but he has to perform. And he's not only doing that, he's also coming and talking to the starting pitchers and then other guys and talking about hitting to the guys that are playing. And he's just facilitating. And it's a cool thing to watch.

But, yeah, for the most part, the starting pitcher stay with the starting pitchers. I try to move around and talk to different guys, but at the end of the day, I don't want to get in their way. I know they're trying to perform. So I'm still trying to figure out who wants to talk and be distracted while they're playing and who wants to take it very, very serious and just don't talk to me while I'm playing. And I'll talk to you after the game kind of thing. Hayden, when you bring up Altovae like that, I have to ask, have you seen anything like it and how nice is it that just his attitude, his overall pleasant demeanor, the fact that he clearly loves coming to the ballpark playing every day,

being the leader, being the teammate, it matters, doesn't it? Oh, 100%. I've said this before, and I'll keep leaning on it. You guys don't realize that the human aspect in baseball is a big deal. Having good people around you and being a nice teammate or having good teammates with you is incredible, because we're around each other so much. And it's not like football or basketball. We're like you get a few days off in between your game.

or we're with each other all the time. We travel together all the time. We're together for what, 162 out of 180 days. It's like we spend so much time together that, yeah, we're going to get tired of each other, but you also have to realize that we're going to see the human part a lot more than we're going to see the baseball part, even though we watch a lot of baseball. And so having someone like Altuva on your team, especially the guy that's leading the charge is incredible. It just makes you play.

comfortable, be comfortable, be yourself. And it's coming from a genuine place. Ultimately, it's coming from a genuine place, too. That's the biggest thing is that the guys on the Astros are great people, they're genuine people and they're themselves, right? And that's

a hard thing to do in this day and age. And so, yeah, it's a really cool thing to see. And, yeah, he just enjoys baseball. Speaking about Al-Ltuve, that's not a, sometimes you can get war down when you play for so long. He just hasn't come to him.

It hasn't warmed down. Hayden was Nesky with us here on Sports Talk 790. So three starts into the season. How would you assess the way that you've been pitching? Of course, we know the 10 strikeouts there on Sunday. Also, the three solo shots overall. And you mentioned about adding the curveball. How have you been feeling about that as well?

The starts have been feeling good. I feel good about them. I've given up a few homers. I mean, that happens. But I really need to limit that a little bit. But other than that, I feel like the ball's coming out good. I'm putting the ball. I'm throwing a bunch of strikes, which I really, I really like.

The punchouts are a byproduct of just me throwing well. I don't really necessarily, I'm not shooting for 10 punchouts, 15 punchouts, but they're not to have at the end of the day, right? And it makes it easier on everybody. But not the assessment of how I'm pitching. I mean, other than the first start, like an inning or two in the first start, I feel like everything's gone pretty well. I mean, I wish we could, I mean, we always want to take a few pitches away during each start.

But overall, I mean, I'm giving our team a chance to win. And that's ultimately the reason, like, that's ultimately the goal as a starting pitcher is to keep your team in it. And give them a chance to win every day. And just, again, quality starts. You can't, you can't go wrong with the quality start. I gave you a big, big compliment yesterday on our program, although, as I explained it to it, might not sound this way. Justin Verlander was here, and a lot of people thought he and Hunter Brown throw the ball the same way. Same way they released the ball.

Their mechanics and things like that. So it was already a comparison to that from a physical nature in his process. But from an actual result standpoint is where I made the comparison between Justin Verlander and you, especially off of this last start. Your stuff clearly was very good again, as it has been throughout much of this season. And you were punching guys out and you had them off balance and you weren't in trouble during really any. of your innings, you gave up a couple of what turned out to be meaningless solo homers, which was basically a hallmark of his career. Certainly here in Houston, he was near the league lead and homers allowed most of his time here, but he was crushing it, winning Cy Young's and helping

this team be great. Is there something that you take out of any starts where you pitch the way you did? You obviously don't want to give up the homers, but you didn't put your team in a bad spot. You were able to give him six innings, and you clearly had good stuff. Yeah, oh yeah, there's the homers I'm They are what they are You know, they get paid to They win They're good, right?

They There's I've always there's like saying a couple saying like there's a saying In baseball where Solo homers don't kill you unless you give up six of them So it's like we just keep It is what it is right I think with the solo homers Yeah they suck

But it's one of those things where they score, they get their run, and it's not really a whole lot of, like, stressful endings, you know, it's where you have Homer and you face the next three guys and you're done, so there's not a whole lot of stress on you. There's one, it's one pitch that you missed, you messed up on. And, yeah, I've seen Ferlander do that. I don't know if I would compare myself to him, but he, yeah, that's what he, it's part of it. Garrett Cole does it too, right? It's just, it's the nature of the business. Does it start. starting pitcher, you're going to give up a little bit of homers and a little bit of runs.

And so, yeah, I don't think I punch as many guys out as Verlainer. I feel like I pitched more to contact than he does, but it just so happened the other day that, yeah, it was a Verlander-like performance when it comes to just how they scored runs and the amount of punchouts that I had. But I wouldn't say that's just, I don't know if that's going to happen the rest of the year. If it does, great. But, yeah, the last three outings, I mean, I have given up a homer or so.

so I don't love that. But we're working on it. We'll clean it up a little bit and hopefully we'll limit the damage. Well, Verlander-like performance sounds good. Just don't do anything like Spencer Arroghetti in the pregame. Have you ever seen anything like that? Man, I was pitching that day,

so I really didn't see it. I didn't really hear about it. And so I didn't know what happened. I heard him come in, and he was in, he was in street closed and I'm like getting ready to go pitching what happened to him like what is going on why are you because you never see guys like during the day in the street closed like that's never good and you're like okay I don't know what's going on so I go and pitch and afterwards I go and you forget about it and then all of a sudden someone brings up his name and I go oh yeah what happened to him and dude I got I haven't heard of it of an incident like that ever happening I talking to guys that have been around longer. Dave never heard of that incident ever happening. I think

what I've heard is he had a ball in his hand and I think that's what screwed it. Like, he squished his hand. I think if he wouldn't have the ball on his hand as well and it didn't get if it didn't get like sandwiched, I don't think it would have been a big deal. I don't think anything

would have happened but man, I've never heard anything like that and that's just pure bad luck and I'm hoping for a speedy recovery, but it just sucks because then you've got to build back up after your bone heels. And there's just little things that you just don't, you forget about.

And he's just, just because of something, being in the exact wrong spot, it sucks. It just, it really, like it hurts, hurts our season.

Yeah, so if you're ever going to be out there in BP, just make sure you're wearing a helmet and gloves on both hands. That's going to be hard to throw a baseball. Where are you playing dodge ball? I feel like you can figure it out. You'll be good, Hayden.

Thanks for the time, man. I appreciate it. And we'll talk to you down the road. I appreciate it. Thank you. All right. Thank you.

Hayden Wesniewski here on a Sports Talk 790. Good stuff with him as always, and good to hear him. And good to see his early success here in a Houston Astros uniform. Final segment. The Matt Thomas Show with Ross. Matt Thomas out sick. Adam Wicks are hanging out. Appreciate him.

Chris Gordy hanging out. Appreciate him. Jay Allen has been here the whole time. Appreciate him. We've been talking. some ashros, who've been talking some rockets. Thanks to Hayden Wiseneski for joining us in the last

segment. We need them to stay healthy. And I didn't hear, I had heard that Spencer Araggetti was out there and he was covering his head from a ball. I didn't know he had a baseball on his hand. That makes sense that it got squeezed up against it. Yeah, that doesn't crack his thumb.

Yeah, guys take a hit-by-pitch on their hand or fingers when they're holding the bat and so the finger gets crushed between the oncoming baseball on the bat in this situation. It's kind of a similar thing. Although if he's not holding a ball, I think his fingers are just

kind of in a different position if they were, say, just on his head because that's how Spencer described it. Ball was coming. He put his hands on his head to protect his dome and had a baseball in his hand. Come on, man.

So it's like when I smash my thumb in the car door, it's because it's getting smashed against the other part of the door. It's been a while since you've done that, right? Probably it was eight. I think in the days since the remote key fob, I think people are doing it a little less than ever before.

Probably, hopefully. It's just one more way to kind of keep things out of the way for you. The more you can do remote, automatic, not have to fiddle, you know, which key is it? I got to find that. And then I forgot the keys are in the door. Or like, you might also have the second advantage that some of us here don't. They're not always other people relying on you to help them get in the car or take them where they need to go. I don't have to pick up any children.

Or hold their stuff for them, or get them extra food or clean up after them in the back seat because they made a mess back there. You're not doing that anymore. Not anymore. You're not doing it a while? I haven't slammed my finger in a car to a while. It makes me feel old.

Is it your Instagram still has a picture of you with your young kids? That's my Facebook page. Okay, Facebook one of those. I've not changed that. We went to a dynamo game. So I had a picture with the original Houston diesel, the fast got. Oh. Both of my kids were in my arm, so they're obviously quite little.

Did they change up the diesel? No, we just are our ability to interview Astros players on the show. We had Hunter Brown on here a couple weeks ago, and we talked at length about his nickname, Diesel. That is true. Okay, so is it diesel or is it the diesel? I think it's, it is. Because I've heard the diesel. The diesel's probably more appropriate.

It sounds right. Okay. Just got to make sure we get that. Yeah, it's Hunter getting an explanation from the Astros. Joe Espada met with the media, and he said, I don't even know what really happened. And then a couple days later when the team's back in Houston speaking to Spencer himself, but I think we just got some more information from Hayden Wisnski. We're finally piecing this together.

The freak accident. When are we going to find out who hit it? Yeah, that's another thing. Who do we blame? I got to tell you, I'm absolutely blown away. You asked them the perfect question. Have you ever seen that happen before? We've been at the ballpark hundreds of times during BP.

They're always out there and people always, how come this doesn't happen all the time? I think about that because, yes, we're out there. so Joe is spotted for a 7 o'clock game he'll speak at 4 o'clock. So we're out there. Somebody's taking BP and then yes, there are guys out there stretching. There's guys out there. I'm like, this just doesn't seem safe for anybody.

Say at home, the Astros are the first team onto the field. They'll start working in the outfield. Pretty much everybody's stretching, getting loose. Then the cage will get rolled out and the sessions of BP will be underway. So most of the players on the right side of the field, Astros, bullpen, and to the

base, or to the foul lines, it's all Astros. As they're taking early the first BP, that's usually when the other team, the Angels were the last team in. Then they'll start milling out of the dugouts. Guy will be in shorts and t-shirts. They'll get their runs in. They'll start getting loose.

Maybe a few guys will start playing catch in the outfield. But before the Astros are to their starters in the batting cage, the entire other team is on the field. In the outfield, the very short porch in front of their own bullpen, you know, playing catch, getting loose, stretching, all those things. There's maybe one or two of their teammates helping, one or two of their ancillary baseball people, helping with recognition of a ball coming that way. But it's remarkable because then the teams just flip, and it's the other team doing that to them. And to think that nobody's getting hit, they're catching a ball off a bounce or getting hit in the back? Like, I'm shocked.

Yeah, me too. That's pretty crazy that it's never happened. But unfortunately, Aragetti down, Ryan Gusto is still supposed to stay on schedule, even with the day off on Thursday, I think probably because maybe if this happened in like June or July and guys were stretched out and they were more apt to put a guys out there for 90, 100 pitches, maybe they would

take gusto out of the starting rotation at least with these days off, but they're not going to do that so far early on. Yeah, he pitches Saturday and he doesn't go again until Friday, so he gets an additional day. He threw 72 pitches so he's probably pretty close to being stretched out since he arrived in Houston as a stretched out pitcher

when spring training ended. Yeah, and hopefully, at some point, Lance McCullors, Jr., going to factor in. Dana's talking about this weekend's start in Midland with Corpus as possibly his last rehab appearance. Was it 61 pitches last time he was out? Yep. Four innings, so four up downs.

He probably throws 70 to 80 if all things go well in this one. And then would probably be limited if he pitches in whatever end of April series they mark him for, maybe Kansas City. I think his average fastball velocity was around 90. when last time he pitched in 2022, 2021, maybe. So it was around 91, I think. They had 91.4, something like that. Yeah, every pitcher is going to have different things they need to do to get guys out.

I mean, this past Saturday, I guess it was the Anderson start. Did he throw a pitch over 91 miles an hour the whole day, 92, 93? Yeah, he did pretty good. But he gets guys out. I mean, Lance pitches very differently, clearly. Yes. But his best pitches, he sets up his fastball with his best pitches, are his other pitches.

All right. So you're making me feel better. Okay, we're going to be fine. Nice but Colors Jr.? Mid-90s fastball also isn't bad. It's not going to hurt. Unbelievable. Wex, thanks for hanging out.

Appreciate it. Appreciate it. Come on early. Thanks to Chris Gordy for hanging out for the first few hours of this show. Thanks to Hayton Wisniewski. Thanks to Joe Espada. Thanks to all of you for listening.

Calling, tweeting, getting involved in the show. I do appreciate it. Thanks to Jonathan Allen producing as well. Coming up next from 2 to 6, It is the A team with Adam Wexler and Adam Clinton. You don't have to go anywhere. Then later on, Astros first pick, 6.45 p.m. Here on Sports Talk 790.