Father’s Day game brings back memories for manager Joe Espada

Joe Espada’s first Father’s Day game on Sunday as the Astros manager recalled his first game at the informal celebration after becoming a dad.

A few months after the birth of his oldest daughter Eliana, Espada, then the Marlins’ third base coach, had his family with him for a road series against Tampa Bay in June 2011.

“I had breakfast with my family and took a cute photo of me and my daughter Eliana sitting at the hotel restaurant,” Espada said before Sunday’s match. “I was actually looking at these photos (Saturday) with her sitting on the couch thinking about my memories.

“I have wonderful memories of Father’s Day. I am lucky to be the father of two beautiful daughters and to have an extraordinary wife (Pamela).

Espada, whose father Dolores was not present Sunday, said Eliana and her younger sister Viviana would join him on the team plane later Sunday to head to the team’s series against the White Sox .

“We’re going to go out to Chicago,” Espada said. “That’s all I need.”

Before Sunday’s series finale, the fathers of Astros players Josh Hader (Tom), Hunter Brown (Kevin), Spencer Arrighetti (Keith) and Framber Valdez (Antonio) threw ceremonial first pitches to their sons.