Perhaps the worst loss of the season.... - subpar opponent - big lead - a TOR pitcher crapping the bed - questionable managing Very few losses have equaled all those parameters. There's always tomorrow Designate your driver .
Remember when Framber decided to call his own pitches in Spring Training and got lit up like a Christmas tree..
You mean is there a reason that Espada let Valdez give up 7 runs in one inning? Including a three run homer, a two run homer and a solo shot? Is there a reason that he had no one up in the pen and let the inning end with his starter on the mound and losing by two runs? Is there a reason he let him stay in the game after it was 6-4? Why he insisted on Valdez finishing the 5th inning and then didn’t even bring him back for the 6th? You mean that he brought in Pressly in the 8th losing by 3? So you want to know what the reason is? The reason is that Espada either is a rabbit frozen in the headlights of a car coming 60 miles direct at it - or because Espada has absolutely ZERO feel for handling pitching. You choose but I’ll just dump this bullshit loss in the pile of Espada mistakes… next to him sending Arrighetti out for the 6th his last start with no one in the pen when he got roughed up… or when he let Hunter Brown blow a good start by pitching too deep into his start and then giving up a bunch of runs. Feel free to add more… I’m sure Pressly has some he can share with you. At least Hader seems to be less pissed at him. They may even hold hands when Espada ***** his pants letting his pitchers implode while Espada looks stunned. Espada and Whitley can go dock together in the MMP parking lot - just lead the handling of pitchers to the big boys.
So Framber started going away from the game plan, got shelled, continued to go away from the ******* game plan, and Espada did absolutely nothing??? How is this possible? Jesus Christ.
It’s worse than a bad performance. Valdez magically decided after cruising for 4 innings to suddenly deviate from the game plan by Diaz and Miller. Better yet, Espada noticed that Valdez was deviating from the game plan and didn’t go out there to find out and then left him out there after it was 6-4 and then let him give up two more runs… all while aware that something was going on because his pitcher was changing the game plan. Yet he just let it happen. Diaz meanwhile said he has never had someone do what Valdez did to him before. This team has some real issues when it comes to the manager and disciple and the execution. Do you think Hinch or Baker would let that happen? They also would not so openly talk about it to the media after the game. All I can hope for is that Valdez at least learned to not fix what isn’t broken. So now we need Caratini holding Valdez’ arm?
Just referencing your "rabbit/deer in headlights" statement... I was driving in Utah - and there was a deer standing in the middle of the road. The deer sees my vehicle, then LITERALLY started running head-on towards my vehicle. The deer took its final steps. Espada = Deer He's not even an average manager currently. Maybe he learns. Maybe the Astros talent can overcome over 162+ games.
The "walk" to Neto in the 5th certainly bit us so I'm real glad we have a pitch clock, & ghost runners rather an electronic strike zone.
A lack of accountability or respect for authority. While it’s 2024 and managers do not “punish” players, good managers and coaching staffs still get respect from their players because they are held accountable. I am not in that locker room, but between players going to management- a lack of understanding of the rules by the manager in game… a lack of execution on the field by the players on the base path and field— and the statements of Espada…. This looks like a **** show. It’s possible the Astros go deep in the playoffs still - but if I am Brown or Crane, I am thinking Espada is gone at the end of the year absent a title. I don’t expect the manager to add 5 wins, but I do expect a manager to have the respect of his players and to have control of his team and know how to keep good chemistry..:. That’s not happening with Espada. The Astros are winning despite him.
This is why Hunter Brown is so bad this year, he calls his own pitching. He shake off Caratini a lot. Blowing a 6 run lead is on the manager letting Framber self-destruct. Letting him try to win games than the Astros win games. Currently, Stros margin of errors is less unless they can pull out of a losing record.
Good on the honesty. But regardless of him going rogue, its on the manager to see whatever strategy applied clearly was not working. Letting it get to self-sabotage is directly sabotage to own job
