The Houston Astros were involved in another benches-clearing scene Sunday afternoon, this time with the Oakland Athletics.
The action started when Athletics outfielder Ramón Laureano was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning. Laureano was understandably upset after being hit. However, Laureano took his frustration too far when he started exchanging words with Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron and eventually charged Houston's dugout.
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Check out the crazy sequence in the video below:
Laureano shouldn't be charging the dugout, but Cintron deserves a lot of the blame for what transpired. Coaches shouldn't be getting into heated exchanges with opposing players.
Houston is not a well-liked team right now, and opponents have not been shy about voicing their opinions of the Astros and their players ever since Major League Baseball handed down unprecedented punishment to Houston in January for its sign-stealing operation that began in 2017.
Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly, who's in his second season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was suspended eight games after almost hitting two Astros players in a July 28 game. The suspension sparked a passionate reaction from fans and players on social media, with most people quickly coming to Kelly's defense.
The Astros didn't receive any suspensions for what happened in that game against Kelly and the Dodgers. Houston probably won't be as fortunate this time -- Cintron definitely deserves a suspension for his actions.