It’s starting to feel like bench-clearing drama is MLB’s weekly special. Just a day after tensions exploded between the Padres and Dodgers, another rivalry flared up, this time between the Angels and Astros. In the first game of their series, a hit-by-pitch reignited some old heat. The NL West scuffle may still be dominating headlines with suspensions flying, but the Astros-Angels clash brought its own tension, heated words, death stares, and just enough edge to keep things interesting. And even after the game, the heat is not completely cooled off.
Angel Stadium witnessed dramatic scenes after Angels’ Zach Neto got hit by Astros’ Hunter Brown’s pitch. The incident happened in the third inning, when a 1-0 sinker that Brown threw hit Neto. He started yelling at the pitcher, and Hunter didn’t sit back; he charged toward Neto with F-bombs. Brown was seen shouting, “The f— you say to me? Let’s go… standing on the f—— plate, man, get the f— outta here.” Even though both dugouts rushed in, the tension didn’t escalate further, and both players continued the game.
Brown reflected on the incident after the Astros’ 3-2 win over the Angels on Friday. “Honestly, he almost swung, so I don’t know what he’s talking about,” Brown told Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. “Guy stands right on top of the plate, doesn’t like when he gets hit — that’s his problem,” he added.
He’s not wrong; the videos show Neto committing to the swing. See if for yourself. And that put him in the line of fire, but Neto took offense to the hit. Brown, however, removed any question of deliberate intent and added, “Obviously, there was no intent.” So what led to the Angel’s shortstop’s fiery reaction?
When he yelled at Brown, he put up two fingers, like conveying that’s twice. Yes, there seems to be history between the two. “He wasn’t trying to do it last year, especially with two strikes. But you go back to the history we have, it’s not the first time he’s done it. And for him to go up and in like that again — enough’s enough,” Neto said after the game. He was referring to June 8 of last year in Anaheim, when he was hit by the same pitcher. “It doesn’t feel great getting hit there, especially by a guy like that who’s dealing, who throws hard. I know he’s not trying to hit me, but it’s definitely frustrating getting hit,” he added.
Both players stood by their reactions and gave reasons for them. They faced each other again later in the game, and this time, Brown retired Neto. Further drama seems unlikely, but it can’t be entirely ruled out just yet. Friday’s 10-inning, 3-2 victory extends the impressive run the Astros are currently on, and they’ll look to keep it going against the Angels on Saturday.
Astros’ Brandon Walter shares hope
The Houston Astros are 14-6 in their last twenty games. After a slow start in April amid offensive struggles, they’ve caught fire over the past few weeks. They now lead the AL West division with a 44-32 record. After Friday’s win, they now rank 5th in ERA across MLB with 3.40. As they get ready to face the Angels again on Saturday, they’ll have rookie Brandon Walter as the starting pitcher. He opened up about the team’s energy before the game.
“We have the next-man-up mentality,” said Walter, who is set to start for the fourth time in his Major League career. “Just hand the ball over to somebody and you just know they’re going to pitch good here. That’s how it is. It’s contagious,” he added. Walter was called up from the minors on May 20, and in his last few games, he’s pitched well for the team. From the three games he has started this season, he’s maintaining a 1.53 ERA. During his last outing against the Twins, he allowed no walks and only one run, and struck out 9 in 6.2 innings.
The 28-year-old appeared nine times for Boston in 2023 but had to miss last season due to a rotator cuff injury. Saturday will mark his first career start against the Angels, and as he gets another shot, he’ll be looking to prove that his call-up from Triple-A Sugar Land wasn’t for nothing.
The post Astros Pitcher Blasts Angels Shortstop After Painful Scene Sparks Ugly Brawl appeared first on EssentiallySports.