Game 6 of the World Series was also the first back in Los Angeles after Houston Astros’ first baseman Yuli Gurriel made an insensitive slanted eye gesture to mock Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yu Darvish in Game 3. Predictably, Gurriel received loud boos from the Los Angeles crowd. Dodgers’ Game 6 starter Rich Hill did his part to make those boos lasted as long as possible.
Hill took an extra-long time to throw his first pitch to Gurriel. He walked around the mound prior to one at-bat, and stopped to stretch before another, taking full advantage of the fact that the pitcher controls the action.
Following the game, Hill made no bones about his intentions.
Rich Hill on stepping off to let the crowd boo Yuli Gurriel: “That was my silent gesture” to condemn Gurriel’s insult toward Yu Darvish.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) November 1, 2017
Rich Hill said he took his time in between pitches facing Yuli Gurriel on purpose to "let the crowd speak for itself” with their boos.
— James Wagner (@ByJamesWagner) November 1, 2017
The crowd certainly got a chance to speak for itself.
With Darvish scheduled to pitch in Game 7, we certainly wouldn’t bet on the boos towards Gurriel subsiding.