DISRESPECT?

Texans' DeMeco Ryans clears the air on Kris Boyd shoving special teams coach

Texans DeMeco Ryans
Ryans met with the media on Monday. Composite Getty Image.

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that cornerback Kris Boyd didn’t push special teams coach Frank Ross in a “disrespectful manner” after he nearly shoved him to the ground following the opening kickoff of the team’s divisional playoff loss to the Chiefs this past weekend.

Ryans said after the game that he hadn’t seen the push before addressing it Monday.

“I don’t think he was pushing Frank in a disrespectful manner,” Ryans said. “I think it was more so he was fired up, overly fired up and thought he made a play to help us. So that narrative that he’s pushing a coach — that’s incorrect.”

The Texans kicked off and Chiefs returner Nikko Remigio had broken through their coverage, hitting the open field and racing toward the end zone. Boyd caught him and stripped the ball loose, ran toward Houston’s sideline and celebrated the fumble by ripping off his helmet and sending it skittering toward the bench.

Unfortunately for Boyd and the Texans, the Chiefs recovered the fumble.

It was a fact Boyd only realized as he neared the sideline, after his helmet was off and the penalty flag had been thrown.

Boyd proceeded to shove Ross on the sideline and ultimately was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for taking off his helmet.

Boyd said after the game that he was “just too excited” and that he apologized to Ross for letting his emotions get the best of him.

Though Ryans downplayed Boyd’s push of Ross, he reiterated Monday that the sixth-year pro has to handle himself better to avoid costly penalties.

“He came over with the excitement, overly excited that he made a play, but we can’t lose our minds in that sense of taking our helmet off,” Ryans said. “We still have to remain poised, right. We cannot take a helmet off in a game, everyone knows and understands the rules.”

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The Angels beat the Astros, 4-1. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.

Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.

The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.

Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.

Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.

Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.

Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.

Key moment

Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.

Key Stat

Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.

Up next

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.

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