Espada defends decision to pinch hit for Meyers in 6th
Joe Espada didn’t get to ease into his first official day on the job. In his managerial debut, he pulled the trigger on a big decision that didn’t end up working as his Astros lost their opening day game to the Yankees 5-4 on Thursday at Minute Maid Park.
With the game tied in the sixth, it was decision time for Espada. The Astros had two runners on and two outs with nine-hole hitter Jake Meyers up. Meyers had homered in his first swing of the season four innings earlier, but he was due to face Yankees righty reliever Jonathan Loáisiga who historically tortures righthanded hitters like Meyers. With that in mind, Espada sent lefthanded pinch-hitter Jon Singleton to the plate instead of Meyers.
Loáisiga — who limited righthanded hitters to a .186 average last season, while lefties hit exactly 100 points higher against him — gave Singleton a 97 mph sinker off the outside part plate on the first pitch, and the only lefty on the bench meekly grounded it back to the pitcher to end the inning.
“He’s a good pitcher and made a great pitch,” Singleton said. “Obviously, that’s where he wants to throw the ball. And, obviously, I want it a little bit more on the plate, but he made a great pitch and I think I was just a little too aggressive.”
The move fell flat, but Espada said it was the exact situation he and his staff had prepared for going into the series.
“There are certain matchups that you look for and prepare for before the series starts, and he’s one of those guys that’s just really, really nasty against righties,” Espada said. “Same thing for (Yankees reliever Clay) Holmes. They pound that sinker in. That’s exactly why Singleton is on the team, to get those at-bats in high-leverage situations when the game’s on the line and put a good swing, put together a good at-bat and give you a chance to win.”
After entering the regular season coming off a strong spring, the second-inning home run only reinforced the groove in which Meyers finds himself. Espada said he took all that into consideration before deciding to take out Meyers, who also had struck out on three pitches in his only other at-bat of the game.
“But I’ve still got to put each player in a position to succeed,” Espada said. “You go into the series prepared to put every individual in a position to succeed. The homer in the first, that’s what I want to see out of Jake, and that’s the Jake that we’ve been seeing all spring, but in that particular moment against that particular pitcher, I felt like Singy was the right matchup for that particular spot.”
For his part, Meyers said he didn’t have any issue with his manager’s decision.
“Whatever was best for the team,” Meyers said. “That was the move that Joe made and that was best for the team, he thought, and I’m absolutely for it, if he wants to make that move.”
Espada made it clear his decision was based strictly on the righty-righty matchup and not a referendum on Meyers, who was given the starting center field job almost immediately after Espada took over as manager.
“Super encouraging to see Jake swinging the bat with confidence,” Espada said. “We all have his back, and he’s going to continue to get an opportunity to play.”