Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez was accused of intentionally hitting his own catcher, César Salazar, with a pitch after giving up a grand slam to the New York Yankees. The incident occurred during a tense moment in the game, which the Astros lost 7-1. Valdez, who was struggling with his performance, appeared to be frustrated with his own catcher, leading to a controversial pitch that struck Salazar’s chest protector. The Yankees took an early lead, and the tension escalated as Valdez threw the pitch that was later criticized as intentional. Former MLB pitcher Dallas Braden took to social media, calling the action ‘absolute trash behavior.’
Valdez denied the allegations, stating that the incident was due to a miscommunication between him and Salazar. He claimed that they got ‘crossed up’ and that he took full responsibility for the mistake. Salazar, on the other hand, suggested that the pitch was a result of a mistaken button press, stating that he was not intentionally targeting Valdez. The two players have a good relationship, and they addressed the incident in the dugout, with Valdez apologizing to Salazar. The Astros are expected to face the Yankees in the second game of their three-game series, adding pressure to their performance as they aim to turn things around.