#Lance McCullers has curious theory on Joe Kelly’s Astros taunt

The Dodgers reliever ignited a firestorm last month during a game against the Astros when he threw at both Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman’s heads, ostensibly in retaliation for the team’s cheating scandal. As Kelly was walking back to the dugout, he made a face at Correa that appeared to be mocking him – but one Houston pitcher thinks he was actually afraid.

“He started that issue with what he said (‘nice swing b—h’) after he struck Carlos out,” Lance McCullers told The Athletic. “You know, I’m not going to repeat it. But citing the ‘oh, I didn’t get close’—I mean, Joe was scared. Carlos isn’t the right dude to mess with. So it is what it is. You know, I’m beyond it. He got his five games. And it is what it is.”

Kelly was suspended for eight games originally, but on appeal it was reduced to five. None of the Astros players were suspended for their roles in the cheating scandal, but manager AJ Hinch was fired, as were Mets manager Carlos Beltran and Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who were both previously part of the Astros organization.

McCullers pointed out that Kelly was not a part of the Dodgers team that lost to the Astros in the 2017 World Series, and argued that throwing 97 MPH fastballs at players’ heads is not the right way to go about it.

“If you are going to be the person that carries the big stick, if you are going to be the holier than thou, you better do it the right way,” he said.