Joe Espada was not in the Astros’ dugout to begin Sunday’s game against the Athletics, with Omar Lopez handling managerial duties in his place.
The team said Espada was dealing with a family emergency, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. With Lopez taking over at the start of the game, that suggested Espada could rejoin the bench later on Sunday.
It was an eye-catching absence for Houston at a time when every game matters. The Astros came into the day holding a one-game edge over the Texas Rangers in the AL West, but they were also trying to steady themselves after a rough stretch.
Houston dropped Saturday’s game to the Athletics, 4-3, after carrying a 3-1 lead into the eighth inning and watching Oakland score three times to steal it. That pushed the Astros to 4-6 over their last 10 games.
The Rangers have matched that same 4-6 mark over the same span, which is why Houston has stayed in front. Texas was also in action Sunday, hosting the Los Angeles Angels.
The division race is tight in another way, too. All five AL West teams entered Sunday with negative run differentials.
Houston’s was the best of the bunch at -43, with the Mariners at -44 and the Rangers at -48. Seattle sat three games back and still has a two-game series against the Astros in Seattle during the final week of the season.
The schedule is about to get much less forgiving for Houston. After a nine-game homestand against sub-.500 opponents, the Astros are heading into a tougher run.
They begin the week in New York with a three-game set against the Yankees on Tuesday, then stay in the city for three against the Mets on Friday. The Yankees have one of the AL wild card spots in hand, while the Mets are out of the playoff race but playing well.
Houston then returns home to face the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 31, followed by a series against Arizona. After that comes a road trip to Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, with both clubs still chasing playoff spots.
In Other News...
Joe Espadas Mound Visit Led To A Brutal Astros Surprise
Hunter Brown was rolling at Daikin Park when a routine-looking mound visit from Joe Espada turned into an unexpectedly expensive detour for Houston. Brown had worked 5 2/3 innings and allowed just one run, and he was a pitch away from finishing the sixth before the sequence on the mound shifted the night in a way nobody in the dugout seemed to want.
What should have been a simple visit instead sent the Astros into an awkward ruling once the umpires got involved, and Brown had to come out to a standing ovation after another strong outing. It left Houston with a strange midgame surprise and a reminder that even the most ordinary-looking trip to the mound can carry bigger consequences than anyone intended. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Finally Have A New Reason To Watch Alex Santos
Alex Santos has reached a new stage in his development, as the Astros organization has promoted the right-hander to Triple-A Sugar Land for the first time in his professional career. It is the latest sign that his steady climb through the system is starting to pay off, and it gives Houston another arm worth watching as the season enters its next phase.
Santos earned the move after a strong run at Double-A Corpus Christi, where he put together a 3.38 ERA across 39 games. For an Astros farm system that always seems to have a few pitching names worth tracking, this is the sort of step that can change how quickly a player gets onto the major league radar. [Read more 🡒]
Cristian Javier Is Becoming An Astros Problem At The Worst Time
Cristian Javier gave the Astros a reminder of both sides of his value in a start that began with four solid innings before the game slipped away in the fifth. Houston got the version it needed early, the one that can shorten at-bats and keep a lineup off balance, but the outing also underscored how fragile things have become every time he takes the ball as the club tries to stay on track in a crowded playoff race.
Since coming back from injury in July, Javier has not looked like a pitcher who can carry a workload the way Houston needs right now. The command has wavered, opposing hitters have had more success than usual, and the Astros have been forced to lean harder on a bullpen that is already under pressure when games get tight late in the season. [Read more 🡒]