Framber Valdez Denies Intentional Throw at Catcher César Salazar After Pricey Grand Slam

Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez had a forgetful night time within the workforce’s 7-1 defeat by the New York Yankees, as frustration obtained the higher of him in a dramatic second with catcher César Salazar.

Yankees Take Command with Grand Slam

During the fifth inning, with bases loaded and two outs, Valdez was going through Yankees middle fielder Trent Grisham. As the pitch clock was operating down, Salazar signaled for Valdez to step off and request a timeout.

According to Fox News, Valdez ignored the sign and served up a 96-mph sinker as time was nearly to expire. Grisham slammed it into the left-field seats for a demoralizing grand slam and gave New York a 6-0 lead.

Tension Between Pitcher and Catcher

This at-bat poured gasoline on the fireplace. Valdez threw a 93-mph sinker proper at Salazar’s chest, stunning the catcher. The ball ricocheted off Salazar’s chest protector as he glared again at Valdez. Salazar took a couple of steps within the course of the mound earlier than eradicating his masks briefly after which throwing the ball again.

The confrontation triggered rumors amongst followers and commentators that Valdez had unleashed his anger at his personal catcher.

How Former Players and Analysts Reacted

It was not lengthy earlier than former MLB pitcher and broadcaster Dallas Braden took to social media, deeming the throw “100% intentional” and branding it “absolute trash behavior.” The clip quickly went viral, with heavy criticism of Valdez’s habits within the dramatic second.

Valdez and Salazar Clarify the Incident

Following the sport, Valdez wouldn’t admit to throwing at Salazar on function, claiming it was a miscommunication. He mentioned in Spanish:

“No. It was not intentional. What happened with us, we just got crossed up. “I referred to as for that pitch, I threw it and we obtained crossed up. We went all the way down to the dugout, and I excused myself with him. And I mentioned sorry to him, and I take full duty for that.”

Salazar supported his pitcher, with the confusion having resulted from his error with the electronic pitch-calling system.

“The stadium was loud, and I assumed I pushed the proper button, however I pushed the improper one,” Salazar said. “I used to be on the lookout for one other pitch, however it wasn’t it. Me and Framber even have a very good relationship.”

While tensions were running high, both Salazar and Valdez made it clear that the matter was closed and that their very good working relationship was in no way compromised.

The Houston Astros, who are trying to recover from the setback, will be counting on Valdez and Salazar to put the episode behind them as they carry on with their playoff bid in a tight American League contest.