Astros reliever Hector Neris faced off against the Red Sox on Saturday in a heated exchange that resulted in both teams’ benches emptying. The tense moment occurred after Neris balked, advancing runner Trevor Story to third base, and later yelled at Red Sox third-base coach Kyle Hudson.
Neris’s actions came just days after the Astros were fined by MLB for their use of electronics to steal signs during their 2017 World Series run. The team was also disciplined in 2018. The controversy led to the departure of former Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who had been the bench coach for Houston at the time.
When asked if he thought the Red Sox were stealing signs, Neris responded ambiguously, saying “maybe” and declining to discuss what he said to Hudson. Astros manager Joe Espada said he would ask Neris about the incident but didn’t have any insight into what caused it.
The confrontation was sparked by a pitch-com system used in Major League Baseball to relay pitching calls electronically. A baserunner on second can also determine the type of pitch being thrown by observing the pitcher’s grip and the catcher’s setup. Despite the controversy surrounding sign-stealing, Neris maintained that he was simply trying to concentrate in the moment.
Source: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45888885/benches-clear-astros-red-sox-neris-intentional-balk