In the world of Major League Baseball, the battle of wits between pitchers and hitters often extends beyond just physical talent. And a recent development involving Seattle Mariners infielder Josh Rojas and New York Yankees’ pitcher Clarke Schmidt highlights this mental aspect of the game.
The story of accusations erupted in the second game of the four-game series on Tuesday. Mainers were accused of stealing signs as Clarke Schmidt was seen tipping pitches. To this, Josh Rojas, the man accused of relaying signs to his teammate, accepted the charges, saying it wasn’t illegal and he just exploited Schmidt’s shortcomings.
Josh Rojas Confirms Clarke Schmidt Was Tipping Pitches
The Seattle Mariners hitters outplayed the New York Yankees on Tuesday to fetch a 6-3 win and go 2-0 in the series. Starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt allowed two runs in his five-inning start, out of which one was a home run hit by Dylan Moore in the third inning. With Josh Rojas on the second base, Moore connected a two-run homer off a 93.1 mph cutter and added 2 runs to Mariners lead. However, Schmidt admitted in the post-game interview that he felt like he was tipping pitches. Meanwhile, Josh Rojas confirmed Schmidt’s doubts by confessing that he did relay signs to Moore on the home run pitch. Rojas said that one can clearly figure out from the replay videos that Clarke was tipping pitches.
And as he was perfectly placed behind him, he figured out Clarke Schmidt’s next move and relayed signs to Dylan Moore as Mariner’s hot hitter capitalized on the advantage. However, Rojas claims innocence, saying neither he nor Schmidt was at fault. It’s just a part of the game. Rojas also added that he wasn’t peeping onto every pitch. But he is also not someone who will let an opportunity pass. “You’ve got to go out there, and you’ve got to try to hide your stuff. It’s not like it’s something that’s off limits,” said Rojas. In fact, even Schmidt didn’t take offense. Instead, he offered credit to Mariners hitters for decoding his tipped pitches. But at the same time, the Yankees pitcher understands that he needs to work on his stuff and ensure he does not give away any tipped pitches in the future.
Yankees Manager Vows To Be Vigilant After Tipped Pitches Incident
After the New York Yankees went down 6-3 against the Seattle Mariners due to Clarke Schmidt tipping pitches, manager Aaron Boone said the team is always vigilant on that front. Boone added that every pitcher is different. While some don’t tip at all, some like to go all in and out of certain things.
And tipping pitches incident are something that occurs only a handful number of times for the Yankees and Aaron Boone believes, it’s a part of baseball. “Whether you’re trying to gain an edge or just trying to keep your house clean, we’re all over this kind of stuff, and nothing will change on that front,” said Boone in post-game interview.
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