HOUSTON -- As is customary in the first game of a series, Astros manager Joe Espada and Orioles manager Brandon Hyde took their respective lineup cards to home plate Friday night and exchanged handshakes with each other and the umpires. There probably aren't two other managers in the big leagues who know each other as well as Espada and Hyde. Espada and Hyde married sisters, meaning they are brothers-in-law. They were friends, roommates and co-workers prior to becoming related, and this weekend's series at Minute Maid Park -- in which they are facing off for the first time as opposing managers -- is meaningful for both men and their families. • Friendly family rivalry goes way, way back "It's going to feel like a little playoff between two really good teams," Espada said. "We're going to be competing against one another. We've been running our mouths a little bit. Not so much the last couple of days. This is good for our family. … It's going to be great, but it's not about us. It's about our club and we feel really good matching up against this Baltimore Orioles team. This is going to be a fun series." |
Hyde married Lisa Dearth in 2006, and Espada married her youngest sister, Pamela, in 2009. Hyde was managing at Single-A Greensboro in 2006 at the same time Espada was the infield coordinator in the Marlins system. Espada would often stay at Hyde's house in Florida, which is how he ended up meeting Pamela. "It's going to be definitely a great experience and a great thing for our family," Hyde said. "Me and Joe go way, way back, when he was my hitting coach when I was managing in 2006. So we've known each other for a long time, and I'm really proud of him and I'm happy he got this opportunity. It's going to be cool to see him in the dugout in a little bit different seat this year. So it's going to be a lot of fun." Hyde managed in the Marlins system from 2005-09 before serving as infield coordinator in '10 and was the Major League staff from '10-11. He was on the Cubs staff from '14-18 before the Orioles hired him to lead their rebuild prior to the '19 season. Hyde won a ring with the Cubs in 2016. "We were on the Marlins' staff in '10 and '11," Hyde said. "We used to carpool every day from North Palm Beach, Fla., down to Fort Lauderdale -- there and back, every single day. And then we were on staff together in the Minor Leagues. So we've spent a lot of time together talking baseball. I don't think we've ever talked about managing against each other or what that would be like, but we've talked a lot of baseball throughout the years." |
Espada coached in the Marlins system from 2006-10 before becoming third-base coach for the Marlins from '10-13. He joined the Yankees as a scout in 2014 and later was the third-base coach ('15-17) before replacing Alex Cora as Houston's bench coach shortly after it won the World Series in 2017. He took over for Dusty Baker at the start of this year. "He's always been an incredible worker and a really good baseball guy, and so I was really excited for him to get this opportunity this year and he's going to do really well at it," Hyde said. Espada's Astros got the best of Hyde's Orioles on Friday, holding on for a 14-11 win. "It was fun," Espada said. "I saw those runs start to creep up and he started to get on the top step [of the dugout] and I said, 'We need to get 27 outs here.' It's great for the family." |
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The Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Astros' Triple-A affiliate, clinched the first-half title in the Pacific Coast League with a 7-1 win Wednesday over El Paso. That means the Space Cowboys will host the best-of-three PCL championship series Sept. 24-26, with the winner of that advancing to play in the Triple-A championship game in Las Vegas against the winner of the International League. |
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BLOSS CALLS DEBUT 'UNREAL' |
When reminded by a reporter prior to making his Major League debut vs. the Orioles on Friday in Houston that a year ago he was facing Seton Hall University, right-hander Jake Bloss quipped: "You're saying Seton Hall and the Orioles are different?" Maybe just a bit, but Bloss was able to hold the hot-hitting Orioles in check somewhat during his debut in the 14-11 win. Bloss, the Astros' No. 10 prospect per MLB Pipeline, allowed two runs on six hits and one walk to go with two strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings, throwing 79 pitches before leaving the game with shoulder discomfort. "Every level you go up, guys are going to be better," Bloss said. "I was interested to see what was different. Are they more aggressive, better at contact, that kind of stuff? Obviously. You learn every level you jump every day. It's a good team, but yeah, we raked today." Bloss, who was called up straight from Double-A Corpus Christi, became the third player from the 2023 Draft to make his debut this year, joining Pittsburgh's Paul Skenes and Atlanta's Hurston Waldrep. Bloss was taken with the No. 99 overall pick out of Georgetown. "I was really excited with what I saw," fellow rookie Joey Loperfido said. "I think his demeanor was exactly what people were saying about him. It sucks that we had to remove him from the game because of the shoulder." Bloss had his shoulder examined and was placed on the 15-day IL with shoulder discomfort on Saturday. Even so, he's in the books. "It's very cool, for sure," he said after his debut. "It's the dream." |
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THIS WEEK IN ASTROS HISTORY |
June 22, 2006: Roger Clemens, having signed a $22,000,0222 contract to come out of retirement yet again and pitch for his hometown Astros, made his season debut against the Twins at Minute Maid Park in a 4-2 loss. Clemens allowed two runs and six hits in five innings and struck out four batters. |
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