The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Joe Espada Discusses Astros Opening Stretch

Episode Date: March 31, 2026

Joe Espada Discusses Astros Opening Stretch

We are going to look forward to talking for the next 26 weeks. I like it to be 32 weeks or so with the manager of the Houston Astros. Joe Espotted 1230 Tuesdays here on 7. I skip. It's Matt and Ross. Happy season opener. Happy three-game winning streak. How are you, friend?

I'm doing well, Matt. How are you guys doing? No, got no complaints. Hey, a little old school last night. You got Altube with a couple of home runs. Lance gave you seven. I mean, what are way. Carrey is making plays.

Correa, it's like 2019 all over again. Yeah, Correa, I'm making those plays at shore. Let's not take away from that bomb that you're done hit. Glad that this one did not hit the roof. You know, he almost looked like it was going to hit the roof. And getting also a contribution from some of the young players, man. You know, Bryce Matthews.

Just everyone putting a little bit in there just to contribute and help us win some games with really, the way we are we playing right now lance the colors my goodness how phenomenal he was last night really pick us up we really needed an outing from him like that and he delivered you know we were down in west palm with you in february he was very reflective about his season ahead his past and his future what has it been like watching him in that month of spring training gaining the confidence for you to put him in that opening starting rotation uh you know what i think lens all this stands the pitcher he is today, right?

For him to have success, he needs to be the guy that controls the game from the very first pitch, and how you do that is attacking the strike zone. When Lance attacks the zone, like he did yesterday, he's able to command the abat. He's able to control the game. Fastball for strikes, really good change up, the sweeper effective, because everything was looking the same, right? Everything was coming out from the same lane. Executing pitches, heading the count,

affidishing from the very get-go. I think he knows that that's the pitcher he needs to be, to be successful, and he's not running away from it. You know, one of the reasons I really root for Lance is obviously because he's been here for so long and part of these championship runs, but just to me also seems like such a great dude and teammate. So if you could just expand on that,

And just give us your thoughts on what type of person he is. Yes, and we all rooting for him because what he has done for this organization, what he's done in our community, and what he means to these clubs. You know, great teammate, great father, man of faith. This guy has pitched some big games for us. I've been here for nine seasons right now. This guy's been in the biggest games. This organization has had since.

I've been here. And also, I seen it from the other side when I was with the Yankees, how he dominated in the LCS. So he's still in there. That guy's still there. And just getting that out of him because he's fully healthy. And his frame of mind is such a really good place that I think he's going to help us win. And now it's, you know, build him from this out of him, right? Not try to do anything different, right?

Get ready for his next start. and build from this because the stuff is there. Astros manager, Joe Espada, with us here on Sports Talk 7-9. Let's go to the other holdover from the 2017 championship team.

Jose Altoe, a couple of home runs. I mean, obviously, we've talked about a lot about him over the years, but just at the played approach, seems like some more patience from him. How much of it is it the same old Jose Al-Tuve and how much of is it kind of a new slant on things?

You know, I think it's a new slant on things. I think being a patient. You know, we've been seen a lot of pitches here the last three games. I mean, that's been something that we highlighted in the all season. We're preaching to our hitters. Let's us control the aback by forcing the pitchers to make pitches. We know our strength. Stay within yourself.

We have a really good lineup. If you don't do the damage, the guy behind you will do the damage. If they choose not to pitch you someone, we are capable of having enough. Debting our lineup, that the next guy is going to do it. And that has been the theme here for the first few games. Contribution from the guys in the bottom. So when Altube comes up to the plate and Yordon comes to the plate, there's traffic on the basis, there's people on the basis,

and we've been carrying out our game plan very, very well the last couple of games. Let me ask you this. You know about Jeremy's finger and you've used them a couple of times, day off here and there. what have you been told? Do you visit with him on the daily? How much does he want to test it? How much do you want to see it tested at least early on?

You know, we all want to see Jeremy in there every single day. He wants to be out there every single day. But we're doing what's best for Jeremy in our club right now. We want to build his body. You know, this is not about the finger right now. It's about his full body. You know, his legs, he's, you know, he's upper body. We want to make sure that heating really has.

at a long, like a spring training to really build off. There was a little pause, even though he was on the basis. He was in the weight when he was taking ground balls. But he didn't really have a big buildup towards the end of camp. So we want to make sure that we do that. We were hampered by injuries last year, guys. And I want to be really smart about, you know, the volume of games that these guys are getting. And also, we've been playing some long games here the last few days.

So we want to be smart and make sure that these guys stay healthy throughout the season. You mentioned long games. I don't mind long games when you've had back-to-back games where you've overcome deficits. The reality is this. That's something, Joe, you hopefully can use in your back pocket is that if a team, your squad falls behind 4-0 or gives up a 4-0-0 lead like I did the other day, that you have the comeback ability. That is something that is not, you're not stopping the game and yelling the guys in the middle of the dugout. Where does that come from? Absolutely not.

Absolutely not. Absolutely not. And, you know, Matt, I think what's really important to recognize here is that, you know, we have, we've gotten some of their starters that we've faced. They're being out of the game before the fifth inning. Now, when you do that, that trickles down and puts you in a really good spot for game two, game three of the series, right? It's showing the Angels. We lost the first two. So Rihanna went out seven innings first game.

And then we started, you know, having some long-grab bats. We're starting, you know, passing the baton further down the lineup. And now all the sudden, game three, game four, the same relievers that pitch game one, their stuff was not playing the same because they've been using twice, maybe three times, doing a series. And I think that's something that we are talking to the guys, the importance of it, is when our lineup does that, it helps everyone in the lineup. And also allow us to win games and win series.

you've had now five games of live action games that count with the ABS system how are you liking it we know we we like we like it we I think you know even seeing the umpires really locking it in and really trying to get every call right right that's the important so we are um we're making awareness of hey this system is here to help everyone get every call right um conversation with the umpires in between innings and the haters, you know, it's been, it's been really good. The system has been good. We haven't been very successful early on, but we're always, you know, looking over our decision-making when it comes to what to use the ABS, just to make sure that we're using it at the right time.

Not only just, you know, we don't want to be, you know, we haven't been successful, but we want to make sure that we are successful using it at the right time. So when we have moments, especially in the game, we still have some of them last so we can execute. Last one from us, Skip, Abreu's second performance, the velocity was down, and I try not to make too much of that because it could be a gun, it could be a tired arm. You were quoted as saying,

and like you'd interpret it for us a little bit, that it's more mechanical than it was about just the arm. So where are you with him, and what was that mechanical adjustment you think he's going to make? And you don't have to tell us, but what is it right now? No, so I'll share that with you. You know, in a post-game after that outing, I had a conversation with him in my office, and I wanted him to be handed with me.

You know, it said, are you healthy? It's a skip. I'm healthy. I'm 100%. But right now, I'm battling some mechanical issues. And, you know, Brian Abram is a huge human being. And, you know, neck, upper body, lower half. There's got to be coordination, and you've got to be, you've got to be, the sequence needs to be right.

Right. Boy, delivered to be working out in front right now. he's opening lower half too quick, arm size dropping, and he's yanking everything. You don't really see Brian and Breil. When Brian O'Brien is missing the lost side, that's a sign of he's spinning too quick. He's opening too quick. Now, when he's missing arm's side, right? When he's hard 98 to the top of the zone, now he's finishing out in front.

So he was walking me through that, and he knows why he needs to be working on as coaches, and we're going to help him through that, right? through videos, you know, through flatground. And, but, but it's, I'm not concerned at all. It's, it's just, it's what happens early in the season, like, just like a hitter. But my timing is not down. It's not quite there yet. And you need to continue to give him opportunity because we know how good he is.

We can't win without Brian and Braille. That's just the bottom line.