The Astros split the opening games of the ALCS in Houston, taking the second contest on a Carlos Correa walk-off homer in extras after being throttled in the opener. Because the late night Sunday delayed their arrival in New York, the Astros cancelled a voluntary workout scheduled for Monday evening at Yankee stadium. That gave bench coach Joe Espada just enough time to connect through Chicago and interview with the Cubs before heading east.
Likely among the Cubs’ top two or three choices for the gig, it was initially thought that a sit down with Espada would have to wait until the conclusion of ALCS.