Astros Hctor Neris, manager Dusty Baker suspended after bench-clearing incident vs. Mariners

Publish date: 2024-06-18

Major League Baseball suspended Houston Astros reliever Héctor Neris for four games and manager Dusty Baker for one after Monday’s bench-clearing incident with the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Park.

Astros bench coach Joe Espada will fill in for Baker on Tuesday while he serves his suspension. Neris plans to appeal.

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Mariners manager Scott Servais and three Astros coaches — Espada, Omar López and Troy Snitker — each were fined undisclosed amounts “for actions that contributed to causing the incident.”

Neris hit Mariners first baseman Ty France in the back with a pitch in the ninth inning of the Mariners’ 7-4 win, which led to both teams leaving their respective dugouts. Neris and Baker were later ejected after Neris threw a pitch behind third baseman Eugenio Suárez, as home plate umpire Chris Guccione had issued a warning to both sides after the pitch to France.

Former Astros reliever Brooks Raley was suspended for three games last July for hitting Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford with a pitch. Baker was suspended for a game after that incident as well.

(Photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)

How much bad blood exists between these teams?

Corey Brock, Seattle Mariners senior writer: Honestly, I don’t know if there’s much bad blood at all between these two teams. This has been a pretty lopsided series (in the Astros’ favor) the last few years.

I think these teams are maybe sick of playing each other. By the time this series ends Wednesday, the two teams will have played 12 times in Seattle’s first 56 games of the season. The Mariners have yet to play a few teams even once.

Maybe it’s time for some new scenery for both teams.

What did the Mariners think about Neris’ intentions?

Brock: France mentioned late Monday that he didn’t think Neris tried to hit him intentionally, even though the pitch was behind him. That seemed a pretty clear intention on what Neris was trying to do.

The ball that sailed past the head of Eugenio Suarez — which got Neris ejected — had some pretty obvious intent behind it. At this rate, though, the Mariners are wondering why the Astros are so upset in the first place. Fair chance this all blows over Tuesday night.

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