Tensions between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros boiled over in the sixth inning on Wednesday (July 29). It started when Dodgers' reliever Joe Kelly threw a 96-mph fastball behind Alex Bregman.

A few batters later, Kelly struck out Carlos Correa to end the inning and then mocked him as he walked off the mound. Kelly had some choice words for the Astros slugger as they continued to jaw with each other. Both dugouts emptied and players rushed onto the field. The umpires issued a warning to both teams, and the players returned to their respective dugouts.

Before leaving the field, Astros manager Dusty Baker got into a close and heated argument with crew chief Chris Guccione, though both men were wearing masks. Baker wasn't happy that the Astros received a warning while nothing happened when Kelly threw behind Bregman earlier in the inning.

"What are you supposed to do then?" Baker said after the game. "And what upset me was the umpires warned us. Why don't you warn him? He's the one throwing the ball. He's the one that started this mess in the first place. I didn't like it at all."

Baker told reporters that Kelly said, "Nice swing, b****," to Correa after striking him out. He denied that Astros said anything to provoke Kelly, though TV cameras picked up somebody yelling at Kelly to "just get on the mound, little f*****."

Kelly said that he did not try to hit Bregman, and that has always had issues with control.

"My accuracy isn't the best," and said the inside fastball "wasn't my best pitch."

The Dodgers still hold some resentment towards the Astros after losing to them in the World Series in 2017. Many Dodgers players feel they were robbed after it was revealed the Astros were illegally stealing signs and relaying them to players in the batters' box.

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