Julio Rodriguez's Teammate Says Hector Neris Yelled Homophobic Slur Before Near-Brawl

An all-out brawl nearly erupted during the Astros vs. Mariners tilt on Wednesday night ... and according to one Seattle player, it all started 'cause Houston pitcher Hector Neris called Julio Rodriguez a homophobic slur.

The near-dust-up on the diamond went down in the sixth inning of the Astros' pivotal game with the Mariners at T-Mobile Park ... after Neris struck out Rodriguez with a breaking ball.

The reliever was so pumped to get the Seattle superstar out, he charged at him ... and, according to Seattle Times reporter Adam Jude, Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez said Neris screamed an anti-gay term at Rodriguez -- causing the benches to clear.

"He started talking bad words in Spanish," Suarez said, according to Jude. "He started doing something that is not good for people who speak Spanish and understand. I was in the on-deck circle and I heard that. That pissed me off."

Players from both sides ran onto the field to protect their guys ... though, thankfully, no punches were thrown and cooler heads ultimately prevailed.

Neris downplayed it all after the game ... telling reporters, "He's my friend." Rodriguez was not available for comment. The MLB, meanwhile, has yet to address Suarez's allegations.