3/12/26 Sousa & Matthews

·51 min·5 clips

Bennett Souza describes getting his first career save at Fenway Park, where he grew up watching the Red Sox with his family.

The episode begins with host Robert Ford and guest co-host Andrew Chapman, voice of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, setting the scene at Duffy's Sports Grill in West Palm Beach during Astros spring training. They recap recent games, noting strong pitching performances from Lance McCullers and Imai. The first guest is Astros reliever Bennett Souza, who shares his background as a former Boston Red Sox fan and describes getting his first career save at Fenway Park in 2022. Souza details his chaotic 2023 season, bouncing between multiple teams before being claimed off waivers by the Astros in September, which made him ineligible for the playoffs. He discusses the mentorship of Josh Hader and his college experience at the University of Virginia under coach Brian O'Connor. Souza also talks about his engagement in Spain, where he proposed at a winery chapel with help from Lance McCullers' travel agent, and his offseason training routine. The second guest is infielder/outfielder Bryce Matthews, who reflects on his time in Fayetteville and his transition to playing outfield this spring. Matthews discusses his confidence growth, his faith, and his connection to the Astros Youth Academy, where he was the first first-round pick from the program. He shares stories from his high school football career as a quarterback and his college days at Nebraska, where he had a 20-20 season. Matthews also recalls his two-game homer streak in Arizona last July, where he hit three home runs and drove in seven runs. The hosts wrap up by promoting the next Astroline episode with GM Dana Brown and previewing upcoming spring training games. The show highlights the interconnectedness of baseball through minor league connections and family stories.

As heard by us

Bennett Souza gives the Astros bullpen a spring-training pulse, with more lefties than righties and last season's missed playoffs still in view.

Astro Line offers Astros followers a useful spring-training check on the bullpen, coming from a relaxed West Palm Beach broadcast that turns a reliever conversation into an early read on the group's mood.

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Why you'd press play

You get a live West Palm Beach spring-training check-in with Bennett Souza: bullpen confidence, four lefties, and a quick seafood detour before the baseball rolls on.

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