Astros Manager Joe Espada Drops a Blunt Quote After Loss To White Sox

Coming out of the All-Star break, the Houston Astros were one of a handful of teams that faced a huge couple of weeks leading up to the Aug. 3 trade deadline. They were one of the few teams that were stuck in the middle of nowhere. Are they going to be a buyer or a seller? That was the question facing them.

The Baltimore Orioles came to Houston and swept the Astros, putting their deadline path in doubt. However, Houston responded by sweeping the struggling Miami Marlins before winning the first two games of a weekend series against the American League Central Division-leading Chicago White Sox.

Joe Espada's team came up short on Sunday in completing a second straight sweep, falling 12-3 to the White Sox. After that loss, manager Joe Espada, who could be considered on the hot seat along with general manager Dana Brown, didn't mince words about Houston bouncing back and pushing the front office down the path of buying at the deadline.

Astros Manager Joe Espada Didn't Mince Words About His Team Bouncing Back This Week

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada — Joe Espada | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After Sunday's game, Houston traveled to Southern California to open a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels, who are struggling themselves. Buried in last place in the AL West, this is a golden opportunity for the Astros to climb in both the division and wild-card standings. Espada sounded confident his team would bounce back quickly and continue in the direction of potentially buying at the deadline.

“I think we have reacted very well,” Espada said, per Andy Martinez of MLB.com. “We got some momentum. Just because we lost this game doesn’t mean that we’re going to stop.”

If there is an opponent that could continue the good times and keep the momentum going for the Astros, it's the Angels. Houston opens the series two games back of the Cleveland Guardians in the wild-card race for the third and final AL spot, while also being just two games back of the Texas Rangers in the AL West race.

Considering where Houston was a month into the season, they have done a nice job of clawing their way back into the postseason race. They were written off in May and June, but they have slowly turned things around and have taken advantage of a watered-down American League.

The upcoming week will be crucial for the Astros as they approach the trade deadline. After playing three games against the Angels, Houston will return home to face the Rangers. The objective is to secure wins and maintain pressure on the teams ahead of them in the standings. If they can reduce their deficits over the next week, it will also simplify the decision-making process for the front office regarding any moves that need to be made for the final two months of the season.

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