The list of teams Hector Neris doesn't like grows yet again. This time, it's the Boston Red Sox after Neris — a pitcher for the Houston Astros, mind you — was convinced that Boston was relaying signs in the seventh inning of Saturday's game. To remedy the situation (which he may have made up in his mind) Neris intentionally balked so that Trevor Storey would move over to third base and not have a chance to send the pitch call home to his catcher.
Then, after Neris got a groundball to end the inning, he had some words for Storey as they headed back to their dugouts, leading to the benches clearing... a little half-heartedly, but still.
Benches clear in Boston after Hector Neris intentionally balked Trevor Story to third base because he thought Story was relaying signs. Neris had words for the Red Sox third base coach coming off the field pic.twitter.com/MxWccFu7F9
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 2, 2025
Astros are intent on staying the villains of MLB
I probably don't have to explain to you why it's funny that an Astros player got so upset about an opposing team trying to steal signs, but if you're a newer baseball fan: the Astros were guilty of sign-stealing in the 2017 MLB season, and while Neris wasn't actually on the team in 2017, the franchise has had a hard time escaping the "cheater" stamp it gained from that bombshell story.
Plus, the Astros beat Boston during that playoff run, so Sox fans surely had a good laugh at Neris this afternoon.
Since that story broke in 2020, the Astros have pretty much remained the villains of baseball, and even five years later, it seems to be a label they don't mind donning. Neris wants to fight like half the league, and the team re-acquired Carlos Correa — who was on that 2017 team — at this year's trade deadline.
AL playoff race will be thrilling down the stretch
Well, you surely can't say the AL playoff race this year will be boring! Houston and Boston are both in races for their respective divisions but are certainly still players in the wild card race, as well, and a bench-clearing scuffle (if you can call it that) in August is a clear sign that no team wants to give up an inch.
Considering the other teams involved in the WC race are the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians, who all hate each other for different reasons, I am going to make a bold prediction right now and say this isn't the final bench-clearing incident we see among these teams the rest of the season. Quote me on it.