Phillies not concerned about talk of Astros pitcher Framber Valdez doctoring baseballs

HOUSTON — Rob Thomson said the Phillies noticed Astros starter Framber Valdez appearing to rub his hands throughout Game 2 of the World Series but did not seem concerned that the pitcher was using a foreign substance to doctor the baseball.

“The umpires check these guys after almost every inning and if there’s something going on MLB will take care of it,” the Phillies manager said.

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Clips of Valdez, a left-hander, appearing to wipe his throwing hand onto his right hand in between pitches spread throughout the game on social media. Thomson said he was told by a club official after the 5-2 loss that “it’s all over Twitter.” Another clip showed Valdez wiping his hands on his pants before the umpires conducted their routine check for foreign substances as he returned to the dugout.

“I don’t think anyone should think of it as anything in the wrong way,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “I do it out in the open. But it’s all tendencies I do. I do it throughout the game. Maybe distract the hitter a little bit from what I’m doing. Like maybe look at me, rubbing different things, and nothing about the pitch that I’m going to throw. I’ve been doing it all season.

“Again, just tendencies that Dominicans do just to be able to stay loose. Just tendencies. The important thing obviously is to win. And we’re winning, obviously winning legally. But, yeah, just random tendencies.”

Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins both said they didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary from Valdez, who allowed just four hits and one run in 6⅓ innings. Valdez has allowed just three earned runs this postseason in 19 innings over three starts.

“I didn’t really pay attention to that stuff,” Schwarber said. “Umpires do their thing. I don’t know.”

Valdez used his curveball for five of his nine strikeouts. Hoskins said the breaking ball, which Valdez threw for 40% of his pitches, was “an equalizer.” The Phillies did not put a runner in scoring position against Valdez until the sixth inning when Hoskins singled after Schwarber walked. But that rally quickly fizzled.

“His curveball was unbelievable today,” Nick Castellanos said. “It was extremely sharp. It just fell off the table.”

Valdez finished the season with a 2.82 ERA and pitched five scoreless innings against the Phillies on Oct. 2 in his final regular season start. Hoskins said the pitcher did similar tactics in that game. Valdez also changed his glove and cleats early in Saturday’s game, which Hoskins said he learned about after the game.

“I didn’t notice it mid-game,” Hoskins said. “But that’s not usually something that goes on unless it broke.”

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Valdez said he changed his cleats because he was still wearing the ones he warmed up in. He usually changes his cleats before the game starts.

“I had a long inning there and I was like, ‘You know what, I’m going to change everything. I’m going to change my glove, my belt, my cleats,’’ Valdez said. “And those are just things that us Dominicans do, just some tendencies here and there. I mentioned mechanics I think at one point, but just things to stay loose.”