Whatever the Houston Astros were trying to do at Fenway Park during Game 1 of the ALCS on Saturday night, they got caught.
In the third inning of the first game of the series, security removed a man claiming to be an Astros employee from the media-credentialed area next to the Boston Red Sox dugout, according to multiple security sources who were on the scene at the time of the incident. The man had a small camera and was texting frequently, but did not have a media credential.
After the man was removed another Astros staffer intervened – according to sources who were on the scene – and tried to convince security that he was authorized to be in the area next to the dugout. The man was not allowed back into the credentialed area, but was allowed to remain in the ballpark.
Security sources say they had been warned about the man, because of some suspicious activity in Houston’s ALDS series against the Cleveland Indians. It’s unclear as to whether or not that warning came from Major League Baseball or the Red Sox.
MLB Chief Communications Officer Pat Courtney acknowledged Saturday night’s incident in an email on Tuesday afternoon, saying, “We are aware of the matter and it will be handled internally.”
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When presented with the details of the incident and the warning given to security heading into Game 1, a Red Sox spokesman said on Tuesday, “It is an MLB matter, so no one from the Red Sox would be commenting.”
An Astros spokesman responded to several emails about the incident, but did not deny any of the specific details provided.
A request for comment was also made to the Cleveland Indians organization. After being asked about the man claiming to be an Astros’ employee and the warning given to the Red Sox, an Indians spokesman said via email on Tuesday, “We are not going to comment on this situation.”
There has been no denial by Major League Baseball, the Red Sox, Astros, or Indians regarding the incident or any of the aforementioned details.
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