Joe Espada was asked his stance on using relief pitchers on back-to-back days. The new Astros manager said he is open to doing so “if they’re available.”

He declined to say if any Astros relievers were unavailable for that night’s game against the Yankees. But it seemed likely closer-turned-setup man Ryan Pressly would be after throwing 27 pitches in Thursday’s season opener.

That was the case, Espada later confirmed. It left Espada without both his setup men, due to Bryan Abreu’s suspension. And Houston’s bullpen moves in a 7-1 loss, then, underscored the tenuous bridge it has constructed for getting games to its backend trio.

Abreu will return from his suspension Saturday. For a second straight game, though, the Astros let a lead slip away in a loss that turned ugly.

Starter Cristian Javier worked six scoreless innings. He departed with a 1-0 lead. The Astros’ offense had chances to extend it and squandered them. Houston hitters went 1-for-12 with men in scoring position.

Espada turned to Tayler Scott for the seventh. Scott, who won a bullpen spot as a non-roster invitee to spring training, retired one of five hitters he faced. Oswaldo Cabrera lined a game-tying single. Scott hit Gleyber Torres with a pitch to reload the bases.

Rafael Montero had begun to warm during the inning. Espada hoped to save Montero for the eighth with a lead but could not wait that long.

Montero entered to face Juan Soto with the bases loaded. Nobody warmed behind him. Soto, one of the most discerning hitters in baseball, drew a five-pitch walk that forced in a run and gave New York a lead.

Montero averted further damage, but the game quickly unraveled. Houston stranded two runners in the bottom of the seventh, then committed two errors as the Yankees scored four times in the eighth.

“Yeah, it’s challenging,” Espada said of wielding a shorthanded bullpen Friday. “But some of those guys need to get outs. We can’t just pitch those same guys over and over again.

At some point they all need to step up and get big outs for us. And I have confidence that they will do that. It’s a long season and they’re getting opportunities and right now things are not going our way.”

With lefty Parker Mushinski trying to preserve a one-run deficit, shortstop Jeremy Peña made an errant flip to second base on a potential double-play ball.

Mushinski then fielded a bunt from Cabrera and uncorked a throw into right field. It offered an antithesis of the fundamental baseball that Espada espoused upon assuming Houston’s managerial role. The Yankees piled on from there.