Framber Valdez threw a gem in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night, and he faced allegations of cheating from fans.
The Houston Astros southpaw allowed just one run over 6.1 innings while striking out nine for the win in a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. But some of his behavior throughout his start led to suspicion among viewers.
Here is a video that went viral, which shows Valdez repeatedly rubbing a lower part of his palm.
It seems like Framber Valdez is going to his right hand for a substance? #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/ufIAM50D6Z
— Hard Rock Bet (@HardRockBet) October 30, 2022
Valdez defenders point out that he is subject to substance checks from the umpires. However, this video shows Valdez appearing to wipe something off his hand prior to a substance check.
Lots of chatter here about Framber Valdez appearing to wipe something off his hands before getting checked by the umpires tonight.
Here's a video after Valzez pitched the fifth inning. pic.twitter.com/Rk9WC05sI2
— Rob Tornoe (@RobTornoe) October 30, 2022
The videos were enough to prompt some questions after the game. Valdez responded through an interpreter in a postgame media session.
Framber Valdez, through an interpreter, on the videos circulating: “Nobody should think it the wrong way. Those are just tendencies I do throughout the game, distracting the hitter from what I’m doing.” He said those are “tendencies” he does and said “we’re winning legally.”
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) October 30, 2022
“Nobody should think it the wrong way. Those are just tendencies I do throughout the game, distracting the hitter from what I’m doing,” Valdez said.
Valdez said the Astros are “winning legally.”
A combination of jealousy over the Astros’ continued success plus their recent history of cheating leads to a lot of suspicion. Given their history, many people aren’t willing to give the Astros the benefit of the doubt.
The Houston Astros are confirmed cheaters and deserve an asterisk. Send that message by wearing our Houston Asterisks T-shirt! You can buy it here:
