Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
Red Sox’ Nathan Eovaldi admits he doesn’t like Astros before ALCS
"I don't necessarily hate any team, but they're not high up on my list."
Recent Links
Red Sox ace Nathan Eovaldi certainly hasn’t forgotten Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman trolling him on social media before a playoff game a few years ago.
And though he didn’t say it in so many words when asked about that incident on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show on Wednesday morning, it appears he, like many fans and teams around Major League Baseball, don’t like the Astros — the team he and the Red Sox are about to battle for a chance to play in the World Series.
“Yeah, they have a tendency of rubbing guys the wrong way,” he said. “I don’t necessarily hate any team, but they’re not high up on my list.”
Advertisement:
The Astros, of course, aren’t high on many peoples’ lists of most respected MLB teams after the news broke about their 2017 sign-stealing scandal (which current Red Sox manager Alex Cora was involved in).
Fans across the league relentlessly booed Houston’s players, especially stars like Bregman and Jose Altuve, during road games this year for their part in the cheating operation, which took place in a year Houston won the World Series.
Then, in 2018, Bregman took a swipe at Eovaldi on Instagram before the Astros and Red Sox met in the 2018 ALCS by posting a video of Eovaldi giving up three home runs in a row against Houston earlier that season while Eovaldi was still a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Chris Curtis, co-host of The Greg Hill Show, asked Eovaldi, who’s a candidate to start Game 1 of the 2021 ALCS, if he has a particular dislike for the Astros three years after Bregman’s diss.
Advertisement:
The Sox starter took the high road, but he also pointed to the scoreboard while doing it — the Red Sox won that series on their way to the team’s latest World Series title.
“It happened. I gave up three homers back-to-back-to-back,” he said. “But we were able to come out on top in that series and hopefully we’ll do it again this time.”
Eovaldi also got one over on Bregman personally that series, striking him out with a 102-mph fastball that prompted then-Sox teammate David Price to troll the Astros star back by saying, “Post that!”
The Red Sox and Eovaldi will get another chance to knock the favored Astros out en route to another World Series berth starting on Friday.
Correction: WEEI’s Chris Curtis was referred to as “Ken” in a previous version of this story. Boston.com regrets the error.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com