OAKLAND, California – The Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros were apparently tired of playing fun.
That after two quiet games at the Coliseum, real feelings managed to come out and tempers flew Sunday, months after Houston’s sign-stealing scandal was revealed by Oakland pitcher Mike Fiers.
Things got so angry that the banks knew – and the stands were empty as well, during Oakland’s 7-2 victory over the AL West rival Astros.
Athletics’ ninth straight win was far exceeded by something that erupted in the seventh inning.
Oakland’s Ramon Laureano was hit by a pitch – for the third time in the three-game series – this one by Humberto Castellanos with one out in the seventh, pointing to the pitcher.
Laureano then began exchanging words with animated Astros hit coach Alex Cintron, leaving the first base, tossing his bat helmet down and starting to load up on him in the first base dugout.
Astros catcher Dustin Garneau left the bank to tackle Laureano before reaching the outsider of the A Cintron, and a wild scene ensued.
“I was just trying to stop the situation before punches were really thrown and things got out of hand,” Garneau said. “That’s really what my whole purpose was for that incident.”
Players are advised from both dugouts to participate in the fray. Players sitting in the seats, observing COVID-19 protocols of social distance, also rode on the field. Several Astros streamed out of their tunnel area.
Laureano was sent off by flat ump Ted Barrett, and the crew could easily be heard yelling at the players to “get back to the dugout!” by a ballpark with no fans.
“Ramon will not go over there for no reason,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin, adding Cintron: “I think the league will know who that is and that person will be suspended. Hopefully that is the case. Nowadays without fans on the podium and mikes everywhere my idea that they know who it is. “
Oakland fighters were hit five times in the series, no Houston hitters were looted.
A’s catcher Austin Allen was also suspended and Astros manager Dusty Baker was previously thrown a half inning for arguments of balls and strikes. Houston lost its fifth in a row.
Oakland realized Laureano likely discipline.
“Look, we understand and you’re doing the best you can with these things,” Melvin said. “Obviously we don’t want to get into a brawl like that and we understand the protocol. Unfortunately it happened.”
Baker said he did not see what happened because, after being exposed, he could not get the game feed on his clubhouse TV.
Asked if Cintron had crossed the line with his behavior, Baker reserved the verdict.
“Who cried first? Did Alex say anything to him first or did Laureano say something?” Baker asked. “I do not know what happened. I have shot for players for myself. Men always say: well, it is not appropriate for a coach to shoot at a man, but you just have to sit there and take?”
“It’s in the heat at the moment, we are all men out there, with high pride and fear and everything else. These things happen when you are on the baseball field,” he said.
Ex-Astros player Fiers did not appear in this series. He went public to The Athletic in November about Houston’s detailed sign-stealing scam. The Astros have won the past three division crowns, a World Series in 2017 and AL pennant last year. The A’s won 97 each in 2018 and ’19 only to lose the AL wild card game.
Matt Olson hit a three-run homer in the third and Matt Chapman connected the very next field, taking the score from 1-0 to 5-0 on subsequent offers from Astros starter Cristian Javier (1-1).
Robbie Grossman homered me too and Mark Canha contributed an RBI single.
The A’s (12-4) pass the 2013 club for the best record after 16 games in the last 30 years.
A rookie left-back Jesus Luzardo (1-0) earned his first major league win in his second start of his career. His day was done after allowing back-to-back two-out walks in the sixth.
The 22-year-old Luzardo outdid 23-year-old Javier in a matchup from two perspectives for top pitching.
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