Add The New York Post on Google The pitch-rigging allegations against Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase are getting specific.
In court documents filed Friday, federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York listed 18 pitches thrown by Clase over 17 games between 2023 and 2025 as part of their gambling case against the three-time All-Star, Cleveland teammate Luis Ortiz and two others.
They were charged last November with wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy for a scheme alleging they shared information about the location and velocity of pitches in advance with bettors.
Clase and the others have pleaded not guilty to all counts, and jury selection for the trial is slated to begin in November.
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz arrives at federal court for a status hearing on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Gregory P. Mango for NY Post The prosecution’s list of pitches in question thrown by Clase included one against Starling Marte of the Mets in May 2023 and another during the 2024 American League playoffs against Detroit’s Matt Vierling.
“The government will only seek to prove that for one or more of approximately 18 of Clase’s pitches, and for two of Ortiz’s pitches, the defendants provided advance inside information about their pitches to others who bet on them,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella wrote.
Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates defeating the New York Yankees 4-2 in 10 innings in game two of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium in New York, Friday, October 14, 2022. Getty Images The filing did not specify the pitches allegedly thrown by Ortiz, but two of his outings last year were flagged by sportsbooks for irregular betting activity on specific pitches.
Both Clase and Ortiz have been on leave since June 2025.
