Astros manager Dusty Baker said Monday he wasn't bothered by the accusations by White Sox reliever Ryan Tepera that Houston might be cheating in its home games at Minute Maid Park.
After the White Sox's Game 3 win Sunday in Chicago, Tepera said the Astros were more prone to swinging and missing on the road, perhaps alluding to Houston stealing signs at home. Tepera said Houston has a "reputation of doing some sketchy stuff over there," a reference to the Astros' sign-stealing scandal during their 2017 World series run.
"We can say it's a little bit of a difference," he said of playing in Chicago. "I think you saw the swings and misses tonight compared to the first two games at Minute Maid."
Baker, who became Houston's manager in 2020, called them "heavy accusations" and said the numbers show the Astros are actually a better team on the road than at home. Houston's regular-season statistics were nearly identical at home (.267 batting average, .787 OPS) as on the road (.268, .780).
"And so I don't have much, you know, response to that other than I was listening to Eric Clapton this morning, and he had a song, you know, before you accuse me, you need today to look at yourself," Baker said.
Baker said he hadn't heard of Tepera until the Astros played the White Sox.
"I'm not bothered at all by it really because, you know, most of my life they've been talking stuff on me anyway, you know what I mean, so let them talk," he said.
Astros catcher Martin Maldonado took to Twitter Monday to share his thoughts: "Always good to get a extra motivation."
White Sox manager Tony La Russa said he doesn't "get into that stuff," but players can say what they want.
"I think that they're a very good team, and they're tough to beat," he said. "That's what I think."
Game 4, which was originally scheduled on Monday, was postponed to Tuesday at 2:07 p.m. ET due to inclement weather. The Astros lead the series 2-1.
(Photo: Ron Vesely / Getty Images)
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How will the Astros respond?
Brittany Ghiroli, national MLB senior writer: The Astros are one game away from advancing to the ALCS, so their goal is the same as before: to let their on-field play do the talking.
It is worth noting that Houston's offense did perform slightly better on the road than at home during the regular season. While it may be tempting to make a statement or issue some sort of retaliation, this game is much too important. And the Astros have a chance to get the last word.
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