Tempers boiled over between the A’s and Astros, and Ramon Laureano found himself right at the center. It started when Houston rookie pitcher Castellanos hit Laureano with a pitch, marking the third time Laureano had been hit in the series. Earlier in the game, Brandon Bailey also plunked him with a 91 mph fastball. Bailey had once been traded for Laureano back in 2017, and that deal became a point of mockery when former A’s exec Dave Stewart called out Houston, sarcastically thanking the “cheaters” for the swap. Bailey saw the quote on Twitter and liked it, possibly fueling the tension.
Later, after taking another hit from Castellanos, Laureano seemed to be trying to keep control, even offering pitching advice on how to better snap a slider. But things blew up when Houston’s hitting coach started yelling at him from the dugout, inviting a fight. Laureano charged, and chaos followed. Houston players quickly formed a wall to block him, and catcher Garneau tackled and wrapped up Laureano cleanly. The hitting coach, who had instigated the whole thing, just stood back and watched from behind the pile.
That wasn’t the end. A’s catcher Austin Allen squared up with Astros catcher Martín Maldonado in a standoff that turned into a full-blown tug of war. Amid the scuffle, A’s infielder Franklin Barreto somehow ended up with Maldonado’s mask in his hand. As benches cleared and players got heated, Laureano had to be walked off the field. The whole incident capped off a tense and physical series fueled by bad blood and lingering frustration from sign-stealing fallout.