Astros pitcher Hector Neris apologizes to Julio Rodriguez, denies using homophobic slur in bench clearing incident - "That did not happen"

On Wednesday night, emotions sparked between Houston Astros pitcher Hector Neris and Seattle Mariners slugger Julio Rodriguez. The two got into an altercation that resulted in the benches clearing for both sides.

Neris struck out Rodriguez in the sixth inning and was fired up about it. He shouted at Rodriguez while taking a few steps toward the plate. Rodriguez took exception to this and had to be held back by teammates.

Afterward, reports came out that Heris yelled a homophobic slur. He has come out denying those allegations and said that he and Rodriguez had talked things over, and he is sorry for his actions.

"Last, there were reports that I used a homophobic slur, which are simply incorrect. That did not happen and any suggestion to the contrary is wrong. My mother raised me to love and respect people for who they are and that is how I live my life" said Hector Neris.

Julio Rodriguez was surprised by Hector Neris' actions on Wednesday. He did not believe there was any prior beef to what had happened last night.

The situation upset Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez. He first thought Neris was joking but quickly realized he was not. Suarez does not understand why Neris did not go back to the Houston Astros bench to celebrate.

Hector Neris let his emotions get the best of him when facing Julio Rodriguez

Orioles vs Astros Baseball

Hector Neris is typically not one to keep a poker face on the mound. He will let everybody in the stadium know if he is fired up. However, he may have ended up crossing a line in his attempt at riling Rodriguez up. MLB is reportedly investigating these allegations.

Fortunately for the Astros, they took home the victory. This series was important for both teams as they are fighting for a postseason spot. Houston holds a 1.5-game lead over Seattle.

Each team has one more series before the regular season ends. The Astros take on the Arizona Diamondbacks, while the Mariners take on the Texas Rangers.

If one thing is certain, it is that neither team has an easy final series.