Houston Astros Skipper Sends Warning to MLB After Sweeping Orioles
The Houston Astros are fresh off of a massive weekend series sweep against the Baltimore Orioles.
Going up against one of the best teams in baseball, very few would have given the Astros a good chance to win the series with the way they had been performing, and even fewer would have predicted they'd sweep the Orioles.
However, that is exactly what ended up happening.
Despite enduring a season full of injuries, Houston finds itself in a place of contention. The Astros are 38-40 and are starting to find a good groove.
Now, they simply need to keep building their momentum.
Joe Espada, Houston's manager, spoke out after the win on Sunday and sent a bold warning to the rest of the league as he thinks his team is primed for a run.
"I think we can use this series as a trampoline and build momentum. You can't get comfortable after beating a team like Baltimore. We've got to keep going, and I’m sure those guys in there are ready to go."
Espada was not the only member of the Astros who talked about building off this sweep. Star third baseman Alex Bregman also shared his thoughts.
"They're a great ballclub, and they've got a great pitching staff, but we swung the bat really well today and all series long. I'm very proud of the effort and the preparation of the guys, and we've got to keep that rolling."
Jeremy Pena, Houston's shortstop, revealed a major key to what helped the Astros find so much success against Baltimore.
"I feel like the energy has been key, the focus has been key and showing up with good vibes and coming to play."
Amid the excitement about winning, Houston may also be changing their outlook on the season with the MLB trade deadline coming up quickly.
Could the Astros actually end up being aggressive buyers?
How the team plays over the next month will be pivotal. If they can keep winning games, an aggressive deadline would make a lot of sense.
There is no denying the talent and potential this roster possesses. Sweeping the Orioles is no easy task, and they made it look easy.
Now, the question simply becomes, can they use it as a building block and keep winning consistently?
If they can, things are about to get very interesting for the Astros.
EVAN MASSEY
Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers both the NFL and NBA. He has worked for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net, and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.