Matt & Ross In The Morning

Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal of The Matt Thomas Show preview the Houston Astros hosting the Baltimore Orioles for a three-game series starting Friday. The Astros are coming off a series victory over the Chicago White Sox. Jake Bloss, a third-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft, will make his Major League debut for the Astros against the second-best team in the AL East. Backup catcher Victor Caratini was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday after being taken out of the game Wednesday with soreness in his left quad. Matt and Ross react to Matthew Stafford's wife Kelly admitting that she dated Stafford's backup quarterback while in college, discuss the University of Houston parting ways with athletic director Chris Pezman, tell their "Non-Florida Stories" and more on this Anything Goes Friday.

Matt and Ross react to the University of Houston moving on from athletic director Chris Pezman. Pezman served as the athletic director for seven years. The school said their search for a new athletic director will begin immediately.

Brian McTaggart, Astros beat reporter for MLB.com, joins The Astros On-Deck Show after the Astros defeated the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field. Hunter Brown started on the mound and delivered his sixth consecutive quality start, allowing only one earned run across six innings. Brown's power sinker "has really opened up his entire arsenal," McTaggart said. Bryan Abreu, Ryan Pressly and Josh Hader each threw a scoreless inning to secure the win Wednesday. "It's not always going to be pretty," but "the bullpen is falling into line here." Spencer Arrighetti will start on the mound Thursday as the Astros look to earn a series win against the White Sox. This is a "good chance today for him to get back on track" after giving up seven earned runs off 48 pitches Saturday when stepping in for an injured Justin Verlander against the Detroit Tigers. With Verlander on the injured list, the Astros have called up right-handed pitcher Jake Bloss, a third-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft. The 22-year-old has split time between High-A Asheville and Double-A Corpus Christi and is expected to make his Major League debut Friday against the Baltimore Orioles.

Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal of The Matt Thomas Show discuss the Houston Astros losing 2-0 on Tuesday to the Chicago White Sox in the first of a three-game road series. Framber Valdez delivered a quality start; however, the Astros offense was unable to score off White Sox rookie starter Jonathan Cannon. The Astros fall to ten games back from the lead in the AL West. Matt and Ross host an Astros therapy session, react to the Detroit Pistons firing coach Monty Williams after one season, owing him $65 million, remember MLB legend Willie Mays, manufacture topics about the Texans, tell people to "Shut Yo Bum Ass Up, Ain't Nobody Got Time" and more.

Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal of The Matt Thomas Show create a therapeutic space for Astros fans to vent, meditate and find peace following an 2-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field. Framber Valdez started on the mound and delivered a quality start, allowing two runs on two hits and five walks over six innings, striking out five. However, the Astros offense were unable to score on White Sox rookie starter Jonathan Cannon. The loss, which saw manager Joe Espada ejected in the third inning, pushed the Astros to ten games back from the lead in the AL West.

Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal of The Matt Thomas Show preview the Houston Astros traveling to Chicago to take on the White Sox for a three-game series starting Tuesday. Astros manager Joe Espada joins to give an update on Justin Verlander who was scratched from Saturday's scheduled start due to neck discomfort. Hunter Brown also joins to discuss how the pitching staff is fighting through injuries to the starting rotation. Matt and Ross review the Boston Celtics defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, debate over which city they are sports-jealous of, react ot Justin Timberlake getting arrested for a DWI, give their latest "Gut Feelings" and more.

Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown joins The Matt Thomas Show before the first of a three-game road series against the Chicago White Sox. Brown's last start came on Friday when the Astros shut out the Detroit Tigers 4-0. Brown threw a season-high seven innings, striking out nine batters with no walks allowed. This was Brown's fifth consecutive quality start. Although the Astros starting pitching staff has dealt with significant injuries, Brown remains "focused on being present" and staying positive even though the Astros have "been bit by the injury bug." Brown also discusses getting to know Spencer Arrighetti, gaining advice from veterans on the roster, his split-grip changeup pitch, catching up with former teammates and more.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada joins The Matt Thomas Show following an off-day that "couldn't have come at a better time," Espada said. The Astros are in Chicago on Tuesday to begin a three-game road series against the White Sox. Justin Verlander was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday due to neck discomfort. The Astros hoped Verlander would return to the mound Thursday for the final game of the series against the White Sox, but Espada is not optimistic as Verlander is progressing "slower than what we expected." The Astros will "see how [Verlander] feels today and then we'll go from there," and a stint on the injured list is "something we'll definitely consider," Espada said. As the Astros continue to struggle with injuries to the starting pitching staff, Espada says MLB should "figure out what's really causing these injuries" across the league. This is "something we should all look at as an industry." With Verlander''s recovery timeline uncertain, the Astros are hopeful Luis Garcia and and Lance McCullers Jr. will return to the mound this season. Garcia is "throwing live BPs," and McCullers "is here with us in Chicago," but "Luis is ahead of Lance right now." Jose Abreu was released from the Astros roster Friday, and Jon Singleton and Mauricio Dubón have been "getting a lot of those looks" at first base. "We are looking for production." Espada also talks about Jeremy Peña having "to grind through" the "ups and downs of the season," and Kyle Tucker recovering from a shin injury.

Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal of The Matt Thomas Show recap the Houston Astros defeating the Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Sunday to win the three-game series 2-1. Ronel Blanco started on the mound and threw seven scoreless innings before being pulled after 94 pitches. Blanco was not supposed to pitch until Tuesday but was pushed up because Justin Verlander was scratched Saturday due to neck tightness. Matt and Ross react to a couple of Astros leading position players in All-Star balloting, review Bryson DeChambeau's U.S. Open victory, discuss Les Miles suing LSU, predict what the Rockets will do with their No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft, play "To Tell the Truth" and more.

Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal of The Matt Thomas Show react to former LSU coach Les Miles suing the school for vacating wins in response to NCAA infractions, arguing that the loss of those victories makes him ineligible for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Miles served as the head coach at LSU from 2005-2016. In 2023, LSU vacated 37 wins from 2012-2015 after recruiting violations that involved alleged payments to the father of offensive lineman Vadal Alexander. With LSU self-imposing the penalty of the vacated wins, Miles' overall record as head coach changed from 145-73 to 108-73, reducing his winning percentage to .597 which is below the .600 threshold required for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.