It's champs vs. cheaters as Nats and Astros meet Saturday

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — It will be champs vs. cheaters in a World Series rematch when the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros play their exhibition opener on Saturday night.

The last time these teams met, the Nationals were celebrating their first World Series title in Houston after winning Game 7 at Minute Maid Park. Since then, the Astros have become the league's villains, with a sign-stealing scandal sullying their reputation and casting a shadow on their 2017 title.

As the Astros prepare to take the field for the first time since their cheating scam was uncovered there’s much speculation about what kind of reception they’ll receive, though the players say they're focused on baseball.

“Honestly, I haven't thought about it,” shortstop Carlos Correa said. “But whatever it is, our job is to go there and play baseball. So, I'm not too concerned about that.”

There have been a handful of hecklers at Astros camp this week as the team assembled for the first time since Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred found they used electronics to steal signs during their run to the 2017 World Series title and again in the 2018 season. The investigation, which led to the suspensions and subsequent firings of manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, found the Astros used the video feed from a center field camera to see and decode the opposing catcher’s signs. Players banged on a trash can to signal to batters what was coming, believing it would improve the batter's odds of getting a hit.

One man banged on a trash can as Astros players took batting practice Monday and someone yelled: “cheater” at second baseman Jose Altuve as he walked by fans the same day.

Correa, who was part of the team that was found to have stolen signs, knows things...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/It-s-champs-vs-cheaters-as-Nats-and-Astros-meet-15074741.php