MLB playoffs 2018: Are Houston Astros cheating their way through the postseason?

The Houston Astros trail the Boston Red Sox, 2-1, in the American League Championship Series, following an 8-2 loss on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 (10/16/18) at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. hit a grand slam in the 8th inning to seal the game for Boston.

UPDATE (12:05 p.m.): Major League Baseball will not be punishing the Houston Astros:

MLB will issue a statement today regarding the #Astros steal-signing allegations but no fine or penalty will be issued at this time

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 17, 2018

Are the Houston Astros, the defending World Series champions, cheating their way through the postseason?

That’s what has the baseball world buzzing, following a shocking report by Metro Boston on Tuesday. The story is based on events during Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.

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. 

The Boston Globe reports Major League Baseball has begun an investigation.

“This isn’t sign-relaying,” the source said of the activities by the Houston employee.

The man, identified by Yahoo! Sports as Kyle McLaughlin, was discovered during the first three innings of the game. He was removed by security and told not to return.

The behavior that was stopped, according to the source, didn’t provide a competitive advantage for the Astros.

Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reports McLaughlin appears to be an Astros employee:

Kyle McLaughlin was caught in Cleveland and Boston pointing a cell phone at the opposing dugout. He is not listed publicly as an Astros employee, but photos obtained by Yahoo Sports show him wearing an Astros ID badge and flying on a private plane with an Astros logo. pic.twitter.com/boa3jCFSJh

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 17, 2018

In the first photo, McLaughlin is posing with Astros owner Jim Crane. The plane also includes logos to two of Crane’s businesses. On his Instagram account, McLaughlin used to list the Houston Astros in his biography. Earlier tonight, he deleted them from it.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 17, 2018

The situation with the Red Sox is not an isolated incident, per Yahoo Sports:

Yahoo! Sports reported that the Indians caught McLaughlin taking photographs of their dugout during Game 3 of their Division Series against Houston and had him removed.

The Indians are believed to have warned the Red Sox.

Ex-Yankees in the playoffs

The Indians, you may remember, are managed by Terry Francona, who led the Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007.

The Astros swept the Indians in the 2018 American League Division Series.

However Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reports the Astros’ may have been doing something fishy since August:

Additionally, sources tell Yahoo Sports the Oakland A’s called MLB because they believed Houston was stealing signals and relaying them to the field using hand claps during a late-August series. The Astros were not disciplined, according to sources. News: https://t.co/P1t6sqhoQc

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 17, 2018

Houston trails Boston, 2-1, in the 2018 ALCS following the Red Sox’s 8-2 win Tuesday at Minute Maid Park.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.