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Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. said his team's fans turned him on in the worst way.
After a rough start on Saturday, the McCullers, who allowed seven runs in just a third of the innings pitched against the Cincinnati Reds, said they received a death threat online from Astros fans.
“People are very passionate, people love the Astros and love sports, but finding my child and threatening to kill them is a bit harder to deal with,” said the 31-year-old right-hander. “So, as a father, I think there have been a lot of threats over the years that targeted me. In fact, one or two of the other issues around baseball actually had to go to jail for something like that.
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Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. will be off the mound after a pitching change in the first innings with the Cincinnati Reds at Daikin Park. (Troy Taormina-Immagn image)
“But I think they are threatening to find children or they are threatening when they see us publicly.
The Houston Police Department and MLB Security are both warned of threats to McCulls, the organization said.
This was the McCullers' Astros' second start since the 2022 World Series. He has overcome several injuries over the past two seasons.
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It was miserable from the start as the McCullers walked TJ Friedl and started the game by hitting Matt McLain on the pitch, then Elly de La Cruz hit a three-run homer. The McCullers were out following a home run, but two more walks and two hits quickly led the game 5-0.
Manager Joe Espada had to pull the McCuller plug, but the second and third base runners were still his fault. They met in the first inning of Cincinnati's 10 runs.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCulls Jr. walks off the mound after pitching changes during a Cincinnati Reds game at Daikin Park. (Troy Taormina-Immagn image)
Espada also spoke about death threats against his veteran starter.
“There are people who are threatening his life and his children's lives because of his performance,” Espada explained. “It's a shame we have to deal with this. In the end he did the fact that he had to talk about it in our office, for the city, for his team.
McCullers are two-time World Series champions who are trying to find consistency again on the mound. His injury issues began with a spring 2023 training. The muscle strain on his pitching arms closed him down. Then in June of that year, he had season-ending surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his arm and remove the bone spur.
McCullers' rehabilitation was not progressing as planned either. In July 2024, it was announced that he would be shut down from throwing and missed the entire season. He eventually regained his chance to the mound on May 4th, where he pitched three scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. responds after pitching against the Cincinnati Reds at Daikin Park. (Troy Taormina-Immagn image)
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“If you fail, you fail at a very big stage, you have a lot of eyes and there's no place to hide,” McCullers added. “At the end of the day, I just want to work, I just want to be a good pitcher for the Astros and I think I'll get there. But like I said, I have to worry about it and leave town and leave something like that or drop her at school.
The McCullers, who created the All-Star team in 2017, owns a 3.55 ERA with the Astros, even after a rough outing on Saturday. He also has a 3.47 ERA in 19 postseason games against Houston.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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