Old Man Astros Fan Charged With Assault for Slapping Yankees Fan While He Sat With His Mom at Game 2

Do not mess with 73-year-old James Dinkins during a tied ALCS game. Got it.

Though the back-and-forth action on the field was tense during a knotted-up Game 2 in Houston Sunday night, there was also plenty of intriguing slap-fighting going on in the stands (now that Tony Kemp's gone, somebody's got to do it).

According to the authorities, 21-year-old Yankee fan Manuel Bitolas was attending Game 2 with his mother, and found himself slapped across the face by Dinkins after a brief exchange of words.

Per a witness, Lee Menchaca, the slap actually sounds deeply disturbing.

"[Dinkins] reached back and slammed him on the face, five times, like repeated five-time slap," Menchaca told Sports Radio KFH. "He's a big guy with long arms, so he just reached back and slapped him on the face.”

To hear Bitolas tell it, he exchanged some words (which he thought were gentle ribbing) with the 73-year-old Dinkins, then put his hand on his shoulder. In response, he heard, "Don't f***ing touch me." He then bent down to grab his drink, and was smacked in the back of the head.

Bitolas and his mother left the contest right after the incident, with the game still tied.

Houston took a 2-1 series lead in the days that followed this incident, so unfortunately, we're forced to label this the Rally Slap. I take no pleasure in reporting this.

Dinkins was released on $100 bond.