HOUSTON, TX - Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Ken Giles will be the guest on Astroline tomorrow night, March 15, at 8 p.m. ET, which is located at the ESPN Club at Disney's BoardWalk in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Astros radio color commentator Steve Sparks will serve as the host. Sparks and fellow radio broadcaster Robert Ford alternate hosting duties for Astroline.
Tomorrow night's Astroline, which is presented by Karbach Brewing Co., will air live on KBME SportsTalk 790 AM and will stream online at Astros.com/Astroline. All remaining shows are scheduled to broadcast on KBME SportsTalk 790, but are subject to change due to scheduling conflicts. Astroline broadcasts live, weekly from 7-8 p.m. CT during the offseason.
Astroline will continue from the ESPN Club at Disney's BoardWalk for the final two broadcasts from Florida during Spring Training, with the final show on March 21. On-site locations for Astroline are open to the public with no admission charge.
Fans can submit questions to the show via Twitter using the hashtag #Astroline, before and during the show. Fans may also post questions on the Astros Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Astros. As always, fans will also have the option to call the show with questions at 713-212-5790.
Giles, 25, went 6-3 with 15 saves and a 1.80 ERA (14ER/70IP) in 69 games for the Phillies in 2015, which was his second Major League season. He posted 87 strikeouts in his 70.0 innings pitched, while allowing just two home runs and a .219 (59x269) opponent batting average. In his two Major League seasons combined, Giles has gone 9-4 with 16 saves and a 1.56 ERA (20ER/115.2IP) in 113 relief appearances with 151 strikeouts in 115.2 innings pitched. Over that time frame, he ranks third among Major League relievers in ERA, trailing only Wade Davis (0.97) and Dellin Betances (1.45). Additionally, his 1.56 career ERA is the lowest in Major League history among pitchers with 100 or more innings pitched.
Sparks enters his fourth season as the Astros radio color commentator after being named to the post on Feb. 13, 2013. Prior to joining the Astros radio broadcast team, Sparks served as a pre- and postgame analyst for Astros television games over several seasons following a 17-year playing career. A knuckleballer in his playing days, Sparks pitched in the Major Leagues in parts of nine seasons (1995-2004) for the Brewers, Angels, Tigers, A's and Diamondbacks. His best season came in 2001 for Detroit when he went 14-9 with a 3.65 ERA and a Major League-best eight complete games while tallying 232.0 innings pitched.
*Media Note- Media wishing to interview Ken Giles must do so immediately before or after the show.
Astroline preliminary schedule (subject to change).
Day           Date               Station          Location
Tues.         Mar. 15           KBME               ESPN Club at Disney Boardwalk
Mon.         Mar. 21           KBME               ESPN Club at Disney Boardwalk
-ASTROS-