Astros' Hector Neris sparks near-brawl with Mariners' Julio Rodriguez

Houston reliever Hector Neris is accused of shouting a homophobic slur at Julio Rodríguez after striking out the star during the sixth inning of the Astros' 8-3 win on Wednesday night, causing both benches to empty.

Neris started yelling at Rodríguez, who was visibility angered by the pitcher's actions. Neris said after the game that he and Rodríguez are friends, and downplayed the incident.

'It's part of the game, emotional, like this situation today.' Neris said, referring to Rodríguez as his friend. 'But it's nothing personal. It's only trying to [wake] up my team.'

Load More