Astros Pitcher McCullers Receives Death Threats After Poor Start

HOUSTON, Texas — Lance McCullers Jr., starting pitcher for the Houston Astros, reported receiving death threats on social media following his performance in a loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night.

In the game, McCullers allowed seven runs in the first inning before being removed. The Astros lost the game 13-9, marking their fourth loss in six games.

According to a team spokesperson, the Astros have notified both the Houston Police Department and Major League Baseball security about the threats. McCullers expressed his concern during a postgame interview, emphasizing the impact of threats against his family.

“I understand people are very passionate and people love the Astros, but threatening to find my kids and murder them is a little bit tough to deal with,” he said. “There should be some type of decency.” McCullers has two young daughters with his wife, Kara.

Manager Joe Espada condemned the threats during his postgame news conference, expressing frustration that such behavior exists. “It’s very unfortunate that we have to deal with this,” he said. “After all he’s done for this city, for this team, it drives me nuts that we have to talk about this.”

McCullers, who has faced injury issues, is in his second start since the 2022 World Series. He hopes to improve his performance moving forward and emphasized his desire to be a good pitcher for the club.

“At the end of the day, I just want to do my job,” he said. “I believe I’ll get there.”

The incident highlights the darker side of sports fandom and the extreme reactions some fans may have in response to player performance.