What Astros’ Joe Espada Had to Say After Team Falls to .500

The Houston Astros' homestand has not gone the way the franchise has wanted whatsoever. Dropping two of three against the Seattle Mariners was difficult enough, given how close the AL West has become, but Tuesday night's loss might sting a little extra.

Dropping the series opener 3-1 to the Los Angeles Angels, a team that sits one game out of last place in the division standings, Houston has dropped three in a row and has gone 5-8 since the MLB Trade Deadline. The .500 mark isn't wanted, but it's still good enough for a first place ranking.

One clear reason for the Astros' recent struggles is their offense. Despite featuring potential Triple Crown Award winner Yordan Alvarez, the team’s offensive performance has been lackluster since the trade deadline.

Safe to say, Astros manager Joe Espada isn't happy with how the offense has performed as of late, addressing that as an issue in his postgame press conference following the 3-1 loss on Tuesday.

Espada's Thoughts on Astros' Struggles

Jose Altuve looks defeated — Houston Astros designated hitter Jose Altuve (27) walks back to the dugout after leaving first base. Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I think we have a good offense and we need contributions from everyone," Espada said via MLB.com. "I thought our bats got better toward the end of the game... We could've walked a few more times; I thought that we could get better at getting in better hitters' counts earlier in the game."

Espada knows that his offense is capable of more than what was shown in the series opener, but gave credit to Angels starter George Klassen, who commanded the zone well and had Houston batters off balance from the get-go.

Cristian Javier took the mound for the Astros, aiming to bounce back from his previous start against the San Diego Padres. He pitched four innings, allowing two runs and recording five strikeouts. While his performance wasn't flawless, it was sufficient for manager Espada to feel optimistic about Javier's progress.

"His fastball was really good early; he got quite a few swing and misses. His pitch count drove up, some foul balls, but for the most part I thought he threw the ball well. It was a step in the right direction; I thought he threw the ball better than what the box score shows."

If Houston wants to make a push to the playoffs after missing the dance in 2025, these are the series that they have to win. The Astros will send Ethan Pecko to the mound, set to make his Major League debut in Wednesday night's contest.

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