It doesn’t always take 19 meetings a year to create rivals in Major League Baseball. The Dodgers and Phillies are prime examples of that. They’ve met several times in the playoffs in the past 10 years (including the infamous Chase Utley slide game), and something interesting always seems to happen when they get together.
This week was no exception. The teams split four games in Philadelphia full of lead changes and intrigue. The latest and greatest example came when Phillies closer Hector Neris finished off the Dodgers on Thursday afternoon and then reportedly shouted an obscenity into the Dodgers dugout.
Max Muncy said Héctor Neris screamed “Fuck you!” toward the Dodgers’ dugout after the last out. “He’s blown about eight saves against us over the last two years,” Muncy said. “I guess he was finally excited he got one.”
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) July 18, 2019
Interesting timing
Besides the fact that Neris nearly gave up a go-ahead home run on the final pitch and got away instead with a flyout to the track, his profane celebration touched nerves for another reason.
Neris was ejected Tuesday for hitting David Freese with a pitch right after allowing a go-ahead home run in the ninth (the Phillies rallied to win that one, too). Major League Baseball suspended Neris for three games, but he was playing Thursday while his appeal is heard.
Then the fireworks started again.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts upset with Phillies closer Hector Neris for screaming & cursing at their dugout:
“To look in our dugout and to taunt in any way, I think it’s unacceptable. Look in your own dugout. Our guys took it personal, I took it personal”@6abc#HectorNeris pic.twitter.com/PTvBStl6hT
— Jeff Skversky 6abc (@JeffSkversky) July 19, 2019
Future meetings?
The Phillies and Dodgers are done playing for the regular season, but with L.A. holding a huge lead for the NL’s best record and Philly firmly in the wild-card race, there’s a real possibility the teams could meet again in October with a lot more on the line.
As Muncy noted, the Dodgers have had success against Neris, so he’s sure to be front and center if yet another L.A.-Philadelphia playoff meeting happens.
Hector Neris stared at Dodgers dugout after his save.
Dodgers say he yelled F*** You at them
Russell Martin from dugout told Hector, let’s meet in the hallway
Hector after: “Its just emotions”#Phillies
pic.twitter.com/PpgT6OP4mu— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) July 18, 2019
h/t OC Register
