It seemed like only a matter of time before Houston Astros hitters were intentionally thrown at this season after their infamous cheating scandal, and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly decided to send a message during Tuesday night’s game. However, Astros manager Dusty Baker claims it was what Kelly said — not what he did — that caused the benches to clear.
Kelly threw pitches near the heads of both Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa during the bottom of the 6th inning of the Dodgers’ win over Houston. It wasn’t until after Kelly struck Correa out and said something to him that things really got heated.
ICYMI:
Joe Kelly vs. the Astros last night. pic.twitter.com/704pdz5USr
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 29, 2020
While speaking with reporters after the game, Baker criticized Kelly for throwing near the heads of hitters. The longtime manager also revealed that Kelly telling Correa, ‘Nice swing, b—-,” is what really set the Astros slugger off.
Here’s what Dusty Baker said postgame about Joe Kelly in the 6th inning: pic.twitter.com/aQhTntXCH9
— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) July 29, 2020
Kelly has had some insane control issues in the past, but he’s also a fiery pitcher who is not afraid to go after hitters. Boston Red Sox fans saw him spark a brawl and throw swings against their biggest rival two years ago, so it’s not a shock he was the first pitcher to send a strong message to the Astros. He probably won’t be the last, either.
