The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Steve Sparks on the Astros AL West Crown & Wild Card Battle

Episode Date: September 28, 2026

Steve Sparks on the Astros AL West Crown & Wild Card Battle

Our good friend, and I texted this to you yesterday, Sparky. It really sucks that you guys couldn't celebrate properly in Sacramento because part of the charm of having you on a broadcast for your great analysis is your post-game celebrations, and the logistics in Sacramento did not work out. So how weird was it for you not to be down in the clubhouse last night? Well, we stayed dry. We were both in the broadcast booth after the gang,

and we were watching our television cohorts, you know, kind of do that stuff and we just kind of set up whatever, whoever they were going to be interviewing for time of time. So it was different. You know, after the game, everybody was still really excited about going to the playoffs, and that was fun to see. I was wondering if they were going to go, all right, that's a relief.

You know, we finally got in, and they were just kind of kind of, you know, say a toast, but they got after it. So I was happy to see that. and they're ready to celebrate this for maybe, you know, 10 or 12 hours. We got on the plane, got in late last night. But it was different. You know, I've been down there for the last 20, 20, 25 times that we've celebrated.

Yeah. So that was different. But it was fun still. I mean, I enjoyed watching the team come together in those last couple of games. And let's be brutally honest, Sparky. there has not been a lot of smiles this year. 8181 is somebody has to win a division and the Astros rivals able to do that by one game,

but you have had, this has been a roller coaster ride and sometimes you get off the ride and you go, man, I'll never do that again. Or you know what, it was a little bumpy, but it was worth it. And so at the end of the day, when you're in the postseason, it is absolutely worth it.

Give me, in a macro view, the highest of the high for this team in the regular season. and where did you think maybe things would go off the rails a little bit if there was a lowest point? I think it was pretty early. What were the 11 games below 500 when you felt like, man, how are they going to get things together? And for me, you know, when we were talking about this from week to week, it was how are they going to fix the pitching and how are these guys going to throw strikes? Because it just felt like minor league baseball early on when they just couldn't throw strikes.

You know, and you wonder how are we talking about this at the major? league level. But, you know, some guys figured it out and some guys were shipped out and they got some other guys in here who could and that's just part of running a franchise and they finally got it together. You know, you look at the second half numbers compared to the first half numbers, just strike throwing alone. The Astros did a nice job. I think about a season that Brian O'Brien-Abreu had, being able to bounce back from the depths where he was, man, I give him a lot of credit, just mentally overcoming what he did this year. I thought that was fantastic.

And he looks like his old self, and the Astros are very grateful for that. Steve Sparks with us on Sports Talk, 790. All right, there's so many things about the upcoming series I want to ask about, but let's dumb it down to its even simplest core. Who starts tomorrow in 4 o'clock? I think it's chaos tomorrow. I think they're just going to piece it together like they did yesterday. You know, thank goodness what Hayden Westeskey did on Saturday.

They were able to go in there well-rested. And because of the way it turned out yesterday, too, I mean, you still give Blue Ball a breather, and you give Abraeu and Hater Breathers, too. So you feel good about those guys giving you maybe more than one inning. So who knows about that? But I think the bulk guys tomorrow are Blue Ball and Uyola. I think those are the two guys you're hoping to get four innings out of combined.

So we'll see from there. You know, I'm not positive about any of this. I haven't spoken, but I just think that Hunter Brown, Wednesday, and if needed, Hayden West Nesky on Thursday, I think that's the way they go. Make sure that those guys have four days of rest. And otherwise, because the way things are the last two days, they can feel pretty good about mixing and matching.

I know same side when you're thinking about maybe Van Wye or Hendrickson or some of these guys you're thinking about Hendrickson getting some lefties. or Sousa and Frank King trying to think of ways to navigate some of these pockets. The other guy Gritchick, Randall Gritchick of the White Sox who's been swinging the bat so well against right-handed pitches.

You're probably trying to get in a situation if he's not starting to make sure that you've got a right-hander to face him at some point. And what do we know about Stephen Ockert and his possible availability? We don't know for sure, but I think he's not available this,

this series. I think it's going to be a little bit longer. So hopefully, you know, a little deeper into postseason. I still think that you're waiting to make sure that's completely healed. He's coming along pretty well, though, and that's encouraging. And the Astros would love to have him back. It is great as he was all season long. He was probably, you know, right up there with their most consistent relievers,

and they need him for big outs. So I'm not positive, but. I think he'll be left off this first postseason roster. Steve Sparks with us here on Sports Talk 790. I mean, 81 and 81, so we know this team can be up and they can be down. Outside of the obvious, say, Yordaun starting pitching, what do you think really needs to click for this team to make a playoff run? Well, I think the bottom portion of the lineup, just to, you know, keep making contributions.

You know, and Yinder Diaz, thank goodness, last month or so of the season, and he turned out the way he did. Everything he's sitting right now, I think, what is it, six of the last seven games, he had multi-hit games, and everything seemed like he hit was hard and a lot of extra base hits. So you lay some the lineup up, you know, it's just not the three guys of Pena, Alvarez, and Paredes.

You know, you get contributions from some of these other guys. Kristen Walker had a great road trip. Plenty of guys contributed where you feel like, all right, this lineup's a lot longer than it was for a couple of months. Sparky, left field. Look, Tremel has not had a good month of September. The numbers have been great. The bottom three guys in the outfield are your 7-8-9.

First of all, let's get to Lucas Spence, and what a weekend he had for the Astros in Sacramento. That's the good news. The bad news or the question mark I would have for you is, how fluid is that left field spot, I guess, depending on who is, what arm is being thrown on the mound for the Chicago White Sox, right? Yeah, well, I think you have Yordon in the mix, you know, and he can play an adequate left field at Dikin Park for sure,

and I think they're comfortable with him at Dikin to play there, and I think he is too. So he's certainly willing to do that any time they made that spot open for somebody else. So my thing is I want Yainer Diaz in the lineup, no matter what. So whether it's the D.H. or catching. I think Yiner is an important piece for this Astros team to score runs because he's such a threat. And you just go for a day, just keep trying to play these little matchups in seeing who can go out there and contribute. Man, Spitz was unbelievable.

Not just, I mean, the three-home run game will forever be talked about just a fourth center field in Astros history to have a three-homeer game. Did you guys have that one? We did not. I was Springer, Lance Berkman, and Jimmy Wynn. That's pretty good company. But sometimes you just need guys that come out of the blue. And when you talk about great seasons, I always kind of think back to this.

There's always a couple of guys that come out of the woodwork. And albeit it was really late. Spence coming on and having the four home runs of that A series. And I think he had three or four walks, too. He was always on base and making things tough on him. That was huge. And I think the other guy, when you think about this Astros team, they would no chance be where they are without somebody

that they had no business counting on. And that was Peter Lambert. And he started the year in Sugar Land, made a couple of adjustments. And he hit the ground running. And without him, the Astros have no shot at being in the playoffs right now. So I think teams that look back and have great seasons and long runs in the playoffs always look at, back at a couple of guys they didn't expect to play well.

And one of the guys you did expect, I just putting into historical perspective, I mean, the most games played by Yordon, highest average, highest OPS, highest home runs, just the year that he had. He's the best hitter I've ever seen, you know, and I've been in professional baseball since 1987. You know, Barry Bonds for his little run, not a little run. Barry Bonds was phenomenal, but just, man, just watching him hit every day is a privilege for me, man. I think he's matured into somebody that everybody fears, the only guy with an OPS over a thousand,

that when you consider his discernment, his damage, his balance, everything about him, just screams greatness. And I love talking to other teams, analysts, guys like me, who played and other coaches. I talked to Mark Katsay with the A's, the manager. You talk to those guys. And I'm not kidding. At least half of those guys say the same thing. He's the best they've ever seen.

Right now, looking at him, there's nobody else that they fear like they do, Yorda. They just understand that somebody who hits the ball with authority from foul pole to foul pole, who will take a walk and make you work. but just barely ever miss mistakes. That's just so fun to watch. He is just lethal. Will the White Sox pitch to him? I'm not sure.

I'm really not sure they shouldn't. But Paredes, and I think Einer Diaz, and hopefully Altuve, you've got these guys to protect them, and hopefully that they can come through, because I don't think the White Sox, if they've got even half of a clue in crucial situations, that they have a base open, they'll probably put him on.

Last question. What scares you about the White Sox? I know the Astros in won five or seven against them, but I don't really count Raiders just in games as much in determining how a particular playoff series are going to go. You know, I think they were on fumes toward the end, and I think there are going to be a lot of the pitching chaos

that we expect from the Astros in the first game. I don't think they're going to have a set per se starting pitcher to go in any of these games. I think they're going to mix and match it as much as possible. We've got a couple of guys, Grant Taylor. I know Reliever, who's been good. Newcomb has been good. He's a pretty good neutralizing lefty.

So I'm sure they'll employ him quite a bit in this series. But for me, it's just the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark. Three guys with 30 or more homers, I think always scare you at Dykin Park. So you've got to kind of tiptoe around Murakami, Coulson Montgomery, and his third Mbargis. I think this is the other one with 30 or more homers. So they can hurt you up and down the lineup. The guy that maybe one of my favorite players on their team is Antinacci, the left fielder.

I think he's in the middle of a lot of what they do as far as, like a Jeremy Pena type, who's in the middle of a lot of these little rallies that they have. I think Antonacci is a guy who you're going to try to keep off base too. Sparky, great stuff, as always. Get some rest. We look forward to hopefully talk. talking to you again next Monday as we discuss the division series.

Thank you for the time as always, friend. My pleasure. Thanks for having me, guys. You got it. Steve Sparks with this Astros Radio, and hopefully another celebration, Sparky style.