Mea am Amina right now.
Now it is the A team Sports Talk seven ninety Space City Home Network at the top of the hour. But in the meantime, Bennett SUSA joining us on the phone lines as promised Astro's relief pitcher. Uh, I hate that we're having to talk to you after a type of loss such as the one you guys suffered last night,
But let's just start right there. When it's a game like that, do you do you enjoy those games as a pitcher where it's more of a and obviously a pitcher's matchup for the majority of that kind of evening.
Yeah, guys, Well, first off, thanks for having me on. I appreciate it. You know, Yeah, last night was a tough one. Uh. You know, we're in this thirteen game stretch right here, you know, flying to California last night. You know, the boys are just you know, we're trying out there give it her all. But as a pitcher, yeah, you love that, especially with our bullpen. You know, we feel like, you know, if the game is decided by our we're gonna come out on top. Most of the times.
Last night just wasn't our night.
That was a very good answer, saying you like those type of games, considering that seems like all that you guys play recently, Yeah, I.
Mean for sure. I mean they're a lot of fun. Obviously, you know, we we like to win by ten runs, you know, all the time. But that that, you know, that's not baseball. And you know, like I said before, we like having the game in our bullpen's hands.
Well, now that you and the team have made their way to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa and now to Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, what are your thoughts about playing Major League baseball at an exhibition stadium and a minor league ballpark.
You know, it's it's definitely an adjustment to say, but you know it's it's it's part of it. Like we we got to get over it. These games count, they matter, the stats matter. We gotta go out there and and play and win these games.
So, if I asked the simple question with maybe a complicated answer, what's the simplest reason you would say you're enjoying your most success thus far as a Major leaguer this year?
Oh, I mean the guys in the bullpen. I can't say enough about him. I mean, we just have such a tight crew down there that is just a lot of fun. We keep it super relaxed, you know me personally, Like I'm a pretty relaxed guy. So it helps out, you know, when things can get pretty stressful in that bullpen, just having the guys support and the coaches support, and just going out there and really just showing what I can do. Well.
I can tell you the part of last night's game that I enjoyed the most, and that was Jose al Tuve coming up to the plate, getting booed all of maybe two pitches and then taking that ball just rocketing it over into the over the fence and left field. I have to ask you a question, because you know, you haven't been here very long, but a lot of
us have and we see that. Does that make someone like you who's kind of new to this relatively speaking, as mad as it does everyone else who knows what kind of guy in that clubhouse Jose Altuve is and probably the you know, the least participant if you will, during that whole cheating scandal, just because you know who he is. Does that kind of irritate you as much as it does a guy like me?
Yeah, I mean it's kind of just funny. I mean it's he's the only guy left from that that era of Houston Astro baseball, and we hear it all the time in the bullpen. I mean it's it's the number one shirp we get right, the trash can trash can uh. And you know, Jose, I can't say enough good things about him. He's one of the best teammates I've ever had. He talks to everybody in the locker room. He's such a big part of this team, and he has been
for so many years. You know, it sucks going to away stadiums and hearing him get boot all the time, But I think at this point, you know, he he's used to it, and he enjoys it, and when he gets his revenge like he did last night, it's even sweeter.
Well, let me take you back, I guess on the long way too, when you first got to to see what kind of team Jose al two they had twenty twenty three when you joined the Astros. But I want to ask you about your twenty twenty three year. First, does it seem even possible that you were bouncing around as much as you were that year with the Reds and White Sox and Brewers and Tigers and Astros ultimately pitching really really well for a month month with the Astros.
Yeah, I mean that was a that was a crazy year for me. I I always, you know, you got to believe in yourself, obviously, in this in this sport with so many highs and lows. And I always knew because I had I had really good numbers in the minor leagues always going through I always knew that if I just got a steady opportunity and chance and took advantage of it, that that, you know, my career could really take off. And I just always believed in that
and and and never straight away from that. And then when I got to the Astros at the end of that twenty three season, you know, I had some early success, and I had some some coaches that really that really believed in me, and and and saw my potential and and you know, I only I know, I only threw seven innings that year, but I was battling injuries for like two years with with the thorscic outlet stuff, and
I felt finally kind of normal at that time. You know. Obviously, the following year I ended up having to get the surgery. But I just knew that, you know, if I just had my steady chance and took advantage of the opportunity that that good things could happen.
I certainly want to pick Bright back up there, But I had already asked, what what did you think of this clubhouse and jose L Twovey's role in it when you first arrived that last month of the regular season in twenty three.
Well, immediately I knew why the Astros have been so good for so many years. And it's that locker room. I mean, you know, it's changed now a little bit since twenty three to now, but but the the idea and the culture is still there. And it's just, you know, we played for each other. We're all we're all a tight knit group.
Uh.
There's not one personal locker room that you know is going against the grain. It's it's really it makes it fun when you're playing for your brothers. Uh. And that's what I really enjoy about this team in this locker room.
Well, and in that van. It kind of sets me up for this question. You know, you talked about what a leader Altuve is from a pitching perspective. Is there anybody that you gravitated towards. Is there anybody that kind of helped you out, maybe even you know, unprovoked. I don't know how it goes, obviously, and everybody's different. Is there somebody that you can point to, some buddies that have kind of taken you under their wing, helped you out?
What have you? Yeah, I mean there's a couple of guys for sure. The first one is Josh Hater. I mean he's my catch play partner, being the best lefty in the reliever in the league. Uh, you know, I try to I try to do everything that guy does because I want to know, I want to be like him. And he's just he's he's an open book. He's always trying to help. Uh, He's picks my brain, I pick his brain. And and he's just a great leader for that bullpen, especially, you know, a bullpen with four lefties
in it. Him leading us all is awesome. And then last year, you know, I was rehabbing a lot, and I was here in Houston for half the year, and I spent a lot of time with Lance because he was rehabbing as well, and just seeing how that guy, you know, because he was real, he was rehabed for a long time and just going through you know, just seeing what he was doing, trying to you know, come to the park with a with a positive attitude every day even though you know you can't contribute to the team.
That helped me a lot last year. So Lance was a big part of that for me.
What was it like when I assume this happened, when one of your pitching coaches Josh or Murph came to you and said, we got some data on your slider.
They don't hit it.
We'd like you to throw it more. You know, It's funny because because every team, every stop that I've had like that, that is the that's the one thing they always say, like, hey, throw your slider. But with these guys, for some reason, like they really they really trusted it that like you know, this is a really good pitch and and you know it might take some time for us to for it to really play on the big leagues, but like when it does, it's gonna be worth the wait.
And uh, you know, I love Josh and and and Murph. They're they're they're the two best pitching coaches for me personally. They keep things light, uh, and they really know how to to the scoutter reports and things like that. Uh, for us to all succeed.
Well, I feel like we keep getting the opportunity to ask this question of our astros pitching guests.
Uh.
And it's the first time in all of our years broadcasting, we've ever been able to ask it. What's it like having a a pitching staff and a bullpen so overrun with left handers.
I mean, guys, it's amazing. You know, you don't see it. Uh. You know, we we we take a lot of pride in being left handed in that bullpen. Uh, and now in our starting rotation as well. Uh. But you know, we gotta give some love to our right he's down there in the bullpen too, you know, Brian and Bray who's Brayhe? I know, he he. He had a tough one last night, but he's been unbelievable all year long. Uh. You know, just it feels like the eighth and ninth
ending are just lockdown endings for us every time. Uh. And then you know, we got Sean Duban, who you know, I know he was hurt the first couple of months of the year, but I mean he's been he's been a workhorse for us. Uh, out of that bullpen and and those innings you know might go unnotice to some people, but to us in that bullpen, I mean, we see what he's doing, and it's incredible.
As a fellow left left handed person. Uh, in in an erow where everybody wakes up and figures out something they need to come complain about it every single day. Are you with me that you feel like we are more discriminated against than most people in society with things like spiral notebooks with the binding on the left hand side. That's crap, isn't it?
Yeah? Yeah, one hundred percent. Uh, you know, we get I think Josh Josh is a fake lefty, and I think DK is a fake lefty too. I think I think Steve and I are the only true lefties where we do everything left handed. So you know, I I hear you on that. With with all the the other stuff that we got to deal with, makes.
Me curious, is Chaz or or Jake are they fake lefties or real lefties?
I you know, I think, well, Chaz Bat's right handed, so you know, but but uh, you know, I don't know.
I mean they go left and Bat right. I'm just trying to dump both those. I'd call him fake lefties. Even if I don't know the answer.
We know that Bennets Susa is a true lefty.
That's all that matters, all right. Yeah, but hey, I'm not I'm not as weird as most lefties.
I'll tell you that, No me, neither are you asking us to ask you who the weirdest lefty on the team is?
Sounds like it, I mean, I mean, that's an easy answer. It's Steve. I mean oker, He's the he's the clown of the bullpen. We love him a lot. You know, he's been such a such a great addition to this team. He's kind of I mean, he's a leader on the team. He really is. He keeps everything light and he's definitely he's our He's our clown lefty for sure.
I have to admit his body language when he hums his way through a three pitch, three swings and misses strikeout, it's legendary. Oh okay, I did it again, back to the dug out.
Yeah, well, Bennett, we we appreciate the time, especially the left handed conversation.
I appreciated that the most.
You are welcome on the show anytime, good luck the rest of this season, and we're happy to have you here in Houston.
Appreciate it, guys, Thanks so much, The A team on Sports Talk seven ninety