Tensions boiled over between the Astros and the Boston Red Sox when Houston pitcher Hector Neris intentionally balked to move Sox runner Trevor Story to third base.
Why did he intentionally give the runner a free base? Neris suspected Story of relaying signs.
After the inning, Neris exchanged words with Red Sox third base coach Kyle Hudson, leading to both teams' benches and bullpens clearing.
No physical altercation took place as cooler heads prevailed.
The Astros pitcher was later asked if he thought the Red Sox player was stealing signs, to which he replied, "Maybe. Maybe yes, maybe no."
The irony of this situation didn't escape anybody, least of all Red Sox player-turned-announcer Will Middlebrooks , who let fly with the obvious clapback.
"Imagine the Astros being mad about stealing signs," Middlebrooks quipped.
Middlebrooks, who won a World Series with the Red Sox back in 2013, pointed out that what Story is being accused of is essentially part of the game at this point. There is no way to keep players on second from watching the catcher or pitcher and then giving a subtle sign to the batter about what pitch is coming.
"But guess what, that's part of the game, when you can see the grip in a glove," he continued.
Using technology to steal signs – well, that's a completely different matter. And the Houston Astros would know.
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Indeed, 2017 was the year that the Houston Astros destroyed the integrity of the game by cheating in baseball. The Astros used a sophisticated sign-stealing system during the 2017 and part of the 2018 seasons, according to an investigation by MLB.
Houston employed a camera in center field to decode opposing teams' signs. This information was then relayed to the dugout and ultimately to batters through various methods, including the now-infamous banging on a trash can.
This method gave the Astros an unfair advantage. Major League players knowing what pitch is coming ahead of time? It cannot be overstated how much of a bonus that was for their hitters.
The fallout included suspensions for General Manager Jeff Luhnow and Manager A.J. Hinch, both of whom were fired by the Astros, and significant fines and draft pick losses for the team.
MLB, however, did not punish a single player on the team, instead offering them immunity for their cooperation. That's right, the league that, up until recently, banned Pete Rose for life for betting on his own team didn't punish any cheating players on the Astros.
And that has left a bad taste in the mouths of many organizations almost a decade later.
Ironically, current Red Sox manager Alex Cora was involved in the 2017 scandal, and his new team was accused of stealing signs themselves in 2018. Cora was suspended for the 2020 season due to his role in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing debacle.
MLB found the Red Sox transgressions to be less impactful than those of the Asterisks.
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