Mariners’ Scott Servais ejected after benches clear in Houston

Tempers were hot in Houston Monday night, as Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais was ejected in the ninth inning after both benches cleared. 

In the top of the ninth with Seattle leading 5-4, Houston reliever Héctor Neris hit Mariners first baseman Ty France in the back. Servais could be seen chirping with the Astros dugout before being one of the first Mariners out of the dugout and rushing toward home plate. 

Astros manager Dusty Baker was in the middle of the scrum, talking with two Mariners players. 

After the game, a 7-4 win for Seattle, Baker told reporters that Neris had no intention of plunking France.

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“The pitch behind France, in a one-run game you’re not going to put anybody on, nobody is throwing at him,” Baker said. “We don’t do that anyway. It was a series of bad events and I don’t want to talk about it too much more because I’m already kind of (upset).”

Servais had a different view of the situation. 

“All I know is our best hitters is in there, it’s two out in the ninth, and you throw the first pitch behind him,” Servais said. “It’s pretty obvious.”

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After things cooled down between both teams, Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez homered in the top of the ninth inning, giving Seattle a three-run cushion. 

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“After that whole situation and to be able to deliver for a team like that … I definitely was fired up,” Rodriguez said. “I never really talk or yell during my homers like that. But given the situation I felt I needed to do it and kind of let all my emotions go out.”

With the win, Seattle moved to 25-30 on the season, while Houston dropped to 35-20. The two teams will play the second game of their three-game series Tuesday at 8:10 p.m. ET. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.