Former Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly incites Dodgers-Astros fracas

Tuesday night’s hostilities between the Dodgers and Astros remained a talking point nearly 24 hours later.

Former Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly was suspended eight games for his role in what would have been a bench-clearing brawl prior to the pandemic. Instead, both teams spilled out of their dugouts and exchanged heated words for an extended period at Minute Maid Park.

Kelly threw a fastball over the head of Houston infielder Alex Bregman and taunted Astros [...]

Tuesday night’s hostilities between the Dodgers and Astros remained a talking point nearly 24 hours later.

Former Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly was suspended eight games for his role in what would have been a bench-clearing brawl prior to the pandemic. Instead, both teams spilled out of their dugouts and exchanged heated words for an extended period at Minute Maid Park.

Kelly threw a fastball over the head of Houston infielder Alex Bregman and taunted Astros shortstop Carlos Correa following a strikeout in the 5-2 victory by Los Angeles, a bitter rematch of the 2017 World Series. The Dodgers remain livid three years later after Houston was found to be electronically stealing signs throughout its championship season. Kelly and Boston were eliminated by the Astros during that season’s American League playoffs.

"I saw the couple pitches," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. "It’s hard to always say what the intent is. I know Joe can be really wild, so it’s hard to say what the intent is."

Kelly is no stranger to being in the middle of a fracas, something cited by Major League Baseball while handing down his discipline. Kelly helped incite a 2018 brawl between the Red Sox and Yankees when he drilled Tyler Austin in the back with a fastball and invited him out to the mound. The hit by pitch was in retaliation to Austin spiking Brock Holt on a slide into second base earlier in the game.

"If there’s a guy deserving – back when I was playing – I’d probably be okay with it," Roenicke said. "I’d say, ‘Go ahead. This guy deserves it.’ But I just don’t see that anymore. I don’t see it in the game.

"Hopefully we’ll continue to get away from that. Obviously there’s fewer and fewer instances, and maybe because there’s more penalties for it."

bkoch@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7054

On Twitter: @BillKoch25