(AUDACY) The Angels fan base saw what the A's fan base had done to the Astros on opening weekend — putting trash cans on posters — and they raised them some real trash cans.
That's right -- in the Angels-Astros game in Los Angeles on Monday night, an inflatable trash can was tossed on to the warning track in the bottom of the sixth inning.
But that's not an actual trash can like the headline reads, you say. And you're right. However, we didn't have to wait long for that to be the case.
Another fan hoisted a large trash can up on the outfield wall when the Astros were fielding, though that one didn't make it down to the grass/dirt of the outfield.
The trolling came because of the Astros' habit of banging on a trash can in the dugout as part of a sign-stealing scandal that marred their 2017 season. What will fans do for the next Astros' road trip? Dress up as trash cans? Drive garbage trucks to the stadium? There are only so many ways to "improve" upon the methods of opposing fan bases that we've seen to this point in the young 2021 season.
But manager Dusty Baker hopes there aren't too many more shenanigans. Baker has had enough.
"It's sad to me," Baker said after acknowledging that his team had made mistakes, like many others have in their lives. "People make mistakes. We paid for ours, and I wish they'd leave it alone."
The Angels won 7-6, giving the Astros their first loss of the season. The hostility from Angels fans and others doesn't hurt the Astros' chances, Houston catcher Martin Maldonado said, instead adding that it might give the team more fuel to win.
"That stuff, we don’t even look at it," Maldonado said, via Chandler Rome of The Houston Chronicle. "We go out there to play a game, and the fans, they do whatever they want. They’re gonna be loud. But I think that gives us a little bit more motivation. We feel like we’re in the playoffs in the fifth game of the season. Every guy out there -- they’re playing like we’re in the playoffs, so that’s good stuff."
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