"We are winning, obviously winning legally" - When Framber Valdez refuted cheating allegations after Astros pitcher's gestures

The Houston Astros came under intense scrutiny after they won the 2017 World Series, and fans found some dirt to throw shade at their 2022 World Series campaign too.

While they were battling out against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the 2022 World Series, the Astros' starting ace Framber Valdez was continuously spotted rubbing his right hand. Some thought he was using a substance to aid in pitching.

However, the southpaw came forward against those claims, denying the allegations and saying that he did so to distract hitters.

"Only tendencies that the Dominicans do just to be able to stay loose. Only tendencies. The important thing obviously is to win. And we are winning, obviously winning legally. But, yes, just random tendencies," Valdez said in the post game interaction.

“Nobody should think it the wrong way,” Valdez added. “Those are just tendencies I do throughout the game, distracting the hitter from what I’m doing. Maybe look at me rubbing different things and not think about the pitch that I’m going to throw.” [via Clutchpoints].

In that World Series Game 2 start, Valdez pitched 6.1 innings for one run and led his team to win the game 5-2.

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What did Phillies manager Rob Thomson say about Astros' pitcher's alleged mound tendencies?

According to the Philadelphia Phillies manager, his team did observe Framber Valdez rubbing his hand throughout the game. Moreover, he mentioned that the team doesn't see it as a problem, and in their previous meetings as well, they found the pitcher doing the same thing.

“You know the umpires check these guys after almost every inning and if there's something going on, MLB will take care of it,” Thomson said.

The Astros won that World Series 4-2 over the Phillies for their second title since the controversy-marred 2017 World Series campaign.

In 2023, they came close to going back to the World Series but were eventually ousted by the eventual champions, the Texas Rangers, in an intense ALCS showdown.