Hector Neris shouts at Julio Rodríguez after K, benches empty - ESPN

SEATTLE — Astros reliever Hector Neris shouted at Julio Rodríguez after striking out the Mariners star during the sixth inning of Houston's 8-3 win Wednesday night, causing both benches to empty.

Neris started yelling at Rodríguez, who was visibility angered by the pitcher's actions. Neris said after the game that he and Rodríguez are friends and downplayed the incident.

«It's part of the game, emotional, like this situation today.» Neris said. «But it's nothing personal. It's only trying to [wake] up my team.»

Rodríguez was not in the clubhouse postgame and said through team spokesman Adam Gresch that he didn't believe there were any prior issues with Neris. Rodríguez described himself as shocked by Neris' actions, Gresch said.

Rodríguez and Neris were teammates on the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic team and are represented by the same agency.

Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suárez was angered by what Neris said.

«From the beginning I thought it was a joke because before today they have a really good relationship,» said Suárez, who was on deck at the time. «And then he started talking bad words in Spanish. He started doing something that is not good for people who speak Spanish.»

Suárez questioned why Neris felt the need to go after Rodriguez, instead of just going back to the dugout and celebrating the strikeout there.

«Don't do that,» Suarez said. «That made me so mad. That's why I said what I said to him and to them. I don't take that, and you've got to respect people.»

This was the third bench-clearing incident between the teams this season. Seattle's José Caballero and Astros catcher Martín Maldonado squared off at the plate on May 7. The two appeared to be at odds after Caballero called time on the