#game-manipulation

#game-manipulation

The Justice Department says that Clase and Ortiz repeatedly threw pitches out of the strike zone as part of a scheme with gamblers who would wager on those pitches to be balls. Sometimes, the bettors would also wager on the velocity of the pitches. These were the first pitches of at-bats, where sportsbooks offered action on whether it would be a ball or strike.

The indictment highlighted specific instances during the 2023 and 2025 seasons in which Clase appeared to collaborate with bettors on pitch outcomes. One of which came during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 28. A prop bet had been placed on Clase's first pitch of his appearance being a ball. Clase got Andy Pages to swing at a first-pitch slider that bounced in the dirt. The right-hander retired Pages en route to getting through a scoreless ninth inning on just 10 pitches.