Chicago White Sox reliever Ryan Tepera referenced the “sketchy stuff” associated with the Houston Astros, which includes the 2017-18 sign-stealing scandal, after Sunday’s 12-6 victory in Game 3 of the American League Division Series.
Monday morning, Astros manager Dusty Baker referenced Eric Clapton in response.
The topic came up after the Sox struck out 16 Astros in Game 3 to help keep their season alive. Game 4 was postponed because of rain Monday and will be played at 1:07 p.m. Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Sox pitchers had a combined 16 strikeouts in Games 1 and 2, both victories for the Astros at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
Tepera had an excellent outing in Game 3, striking out three in two perfect innings.
The 16 strikeouts for the Sox on Sunday were the most in a postseason game in team history.
Asked about the difference for Game 3, Tepera said: “The stadium was rocking, obviously it’s a different game here at our field. You play at Minute Maid and they’re doing something over there that’s a little different.
“It shows you how many swings and misses they had (Sunday) compared to Minute Maid. That’s why you have the home-field advantage.”
When a reporter sought clarification, Tepera said: “It is what it is. They’ve obviously had a reputation of doing some sketchy stuff over there. We can say it is a little bit of a difference. You saw the swings and misses (Sunday night) compared to the first two games at Minute Maid.
“But that’s not really the story. We come here to play. We’re going to compete. We’re not even going to worry about what they’re going to do. All we have to do is execute pitches and they can’t hit it anyway.”
In January 2020, Major League Baseball announced results of an investigation that found Astros employees in the team’s replay room attempted to decode signs using a center-field camera at the start of the 2017 season. A player would act as a “runner” to bring the information to the dugout, where a signal would be sent to a baserunner on second. The runner would decode the catcher’s sign and signal the batter.
At times, an employee in the replay room would pass along the information by text message to the watch or phone of a staff member on the bench. Alex Cora, then the team’s bench coach, began calling the replay room for the information early in the season.
Two months into the season, a group of players that included Carlos Beltran discussed how to improve the system, and Cora arranged for a video monitor of a center-field camera to be installed next to the dugout. Players would communicate pitches by banging a bat or massage gun on a trash can. Generally, it was one or two bangs for certain off-speed pitches and no sound for fastballs.
For parts of 2018, the Astros replay room staff continued to decode signs using the live center-field camera feed and to transmit the signs to the dugout through in-person communication.
Baker, who was not in the Astros organization at the time, called Tepera’s comments “heavy accusations.”
“We’re about the same runs, OPS and everything (this season) — well, actually, better on the road than we are at home,” Baker said. “And I think they’re actually better at home than they are on the road.
“So I don’t have much response to that other than I was listening to Eric Clapton this morning, and he had a song, ‘Before you accuse me, you need to take a look at yourself.’ You know what I mean? That’s all I’ve got to say.”
The Astros scored 427 runs and had a .788 OPS at home and scored 436 runs and had a .780 OPS on the road during the regular season.
Sox fans made sure to remind the Astros of the scandal Sunday, chanting, “Cheater, cheater,” when players such as José Altuve were at the plate.
“We’re just focused on winning games,” Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said when asked about Tepera’s comments. “That’s it.”
Sox reliever Aaron Bummer, who struck out four of the five batters he faced Sunday, said he tries not to concern himself with what the opposition is doing.
“If we go out there and execute pitches, we’re going to be successful, so I really try not to get into that,” Bummer said.
Baker said Tepera, who joined the Sox in a July trade from the Chicago Cubs, can say what he wants.
“I never even heard his name before until we played the White Sox,” Baker said. “So, no, man, I’m not bothered at all by it, really, because most of my life they’ve been talking stuff on me anyway, you know what I mean? So let them talk.”
Astros catcher Martín Maldonado tweeted about “extra motivation.”
But Sox manager Tony La Russa didn’t think the discussion would have an effect on Tuesday’s Game 4.
“I don’t get into that stuff,” La Russa said. “And I try to realize this is America, and players can say what they want to and I can say that I don’t get into it if I want to.
“It’s tough enough to try to play against a team like Houston without getting distracted, so we try to concentrate.”
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