The benches were cleared when A’s outfielder, Ramón Laureano, appeared to hear what Houston Astros battle coach Alex Cintrón said he got out of the visitor’s dugout during A’s 7 win on Sunday.
Laureano was hit by a pitch from Astros reliever Humberto Castellanos at the bottom of the seventh inning. When Laureano arrived at first base, Cintrón said something to him about the dugout. That is when madness arose.
Laureano charged the Astros dugout and the brawl broke out pic.twitter.com/CQ2K8kFnlb
– A’s on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) August 9, 2020
Laureano was not wise with the Astros after he was hit by a pitch pic.twitter.com/ysiXICstKb
– A’s on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) August 9, 2020
Laureano and A’s catcher Austin Allen were removed from the game, but no members of the Astros were thrown.
A’s manager Bob Melvin said Laureano would never move on to the Astros dugout unless something extremely insulting was said.
“I think the league will know who it is, and that person needs to be stopped,” Melvin told reporters after the game. “Hopefully that’s the case, and nowadays without fans in the stands, and mics everywhere, my idea is that they know who he is.”
Melvin was asked what was said to Laureano.
“I can not tell you that,” Melvin said.
Melvin was confused as to why Allen was suspended and none of the Astros were suspended despite the incident that happened before the Houston dugout.
“I do not know how we ended up getting a couple of guys eliminated and it came out of their dugout and I do not understand, it’s just how it worked,” Melvin said.
A’s first baseman Matt Olson was on deck when it happened and rushed over to defend Laureano. Matt Chapman joined him. Olson said he did not want it to be a situation that it was Laureano against the entire Astros team.
“[Laureano] was hit a lot, I know it was a curveball, but when he started going down the line, we heard things being said that were not good for him, and maybe someone even told him to go over come to the dugout, so I think he was definitely a bit provoked, ”Olson said.
Laureano was hit twice by pitches on Sunday. The first happened earlier by Brandon Bailey in the bottom of the fifth inning. Bailey had been hired by the A’s in 2017 to the Astros for Laureano.
Olson acknowledged that there was a lot of conversation back and forth, that he was not sure exactly what was being said.
For now, Laureano and Allen were the only two removed from the game, but we’ll soon find out if further discipline is involved for others.
[RELATED: FanGraphs has A’s almost guaranteed lock in postseason]For reference, Los Angeles Dodgers thrower Joe Kelly was arrested for eight games after throwing a fastball behind Astros’ Alex Bregman and another ball over Carlos Correa’s head on July 28.
Melvin said while not talking to anyone right after the game, it appeared the clubhouse had the same thoughts as he did that Laureano was provoked.
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