On Wednesday night, Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros took the field as the biggest MLB favorite over the past 15 years.
In fact, many were predicting another no-hitter for Verlander against his former team.
There was just one problem. The Detroit Tigers did not get the memo.
Though the Tigers only managed two hits off their former Ace, both of those hits were home runs, including one by John Hicks in the top of the ninth inning to propel Detroit to a 2-1 win over Verlander and the Astros.
Following the game, Verlander talked to reporters but one writer who made the trip from Detroit was not included.
That writer is Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press.
According to Tony Paul of the Detroit News, Fenech was not allowed into the Astros clubhouse, per the request of Verlander.
In a chicken-shit and wildly inappropriate move, the @astros and @JustinVerlander blocked the Freep’s Anthony Fenech from the postgame presser last night.
Don’t know the reason; don’t care. That was dead wrong.
Other BBWAA-sanctioned reporters should’ve protested on the spot.
— Tony Paul | Detroit News (@TonyPaul1984) August 22, 2019
As Paul notes in his tweet, we don’t know the exact reason why Fenech was banned from the post-game interview, a move Paul referred to as “chicken-shit and wildly inappropriate.”
It will be interesting to see if Verlander gives a reason as to why a reporter is as not allowed to interview him following a game.
