Astros' Joe Espada Dropped Brutally Honest Quote After Series Win Over Giants

All season long, the American League West Division was just waiting for someone to take control of it. Every team was hovering at or below .500 for the first four months of the season. All it was going to take was one team to go on a heater and separate themselves a bit from the rest of the pack.

Out of nowhere, that team has become the Houston Astros. After the way the season began, with injuries piling up and inconsistent play on the field, not many saw the runaround the Astros have had. After taking two out of three from the San Francisco Giants, Houston is 62-60 and 1.5 games ahead of the Texas Rangers.

The series win over the Giants was the latest step for Joe Espada's team in pushing for their clearest playoff path, winning the division. It wrapped up a 3-3 trip that saw them drop two out of three to the San Diego Padres before doing what playoff teams need to do at this time of year: win a series over a team that is fighting to stay out of last place in their own division.

Astros Manager Joe Espada Drops Honest Quote After Series Win Over Giants

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sometimes, they don't ask how, but if when it comes to the results in a game. That was the case for Houston in the third and final game on Wednesday. Espada used just about all of his available arms to pick up a 2-1 win. The Astros got RBI sac flies from Nick Allen and Nelson Velázquez in the seventh and eighth innings to rally for a 2-1 win. They were missing Jose Altuve.

“Good teams find a way and we did,” Espada said, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. “We finished strong this road trip -- (going) 3-3 -- and that’s what you want to do. That was a team coming together and grinding. We used everyone in that ‘pen who was available, and we got the big hits when we needed the most.”

Houston certainly used the available arms. Bryan King got the start and allowed a first-inning run and after Enyel De Los Santos worked a third of an inning, Tatsuya Imai worked three scoreless and hitless innings before the rest of the bullpen finished the game. The Astros offense only had four hits, but used two sac flies to pull out a gutsy win in Northern California.

Astros Return Home for Key Stretch

Houston Astros left fielder Taylor Trammell Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The win keeps Houston on top of the AL West standings as they head home for a nine-game homestand against division opponents. The Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and Athletics will each come in for three games over the next 10 days, beginning on Friday.

This nine-game stretch could set the Astros up to lengthen the lead in the division. That is possible with maybe the biggest gut-check win of the 2026 season for Espada's club over San Francisco.

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