'Shock': Even Fall Baseball Manipulation! Top Closer, 18 Alleged Match-Fixing Details Revealed → 'Includes Postseason'

*This content was translated by AI.

Could even "fall baseball," which determines the postseason champion beyond the regular season, have become prey for black money? A match-fixing scandal involving a top-tier MLB closer has shaken the baseball world as specific indictment details were revealed.

According to an official indictment document recently filed with the court by the U.S. Department of Justice's Eastern District of New York, obtained and reported by The New York Post on the 20th (Korean time), prosecutors allege that Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase (28) threw a total of 18 "fixed pitches" in collusion with illegal betting brokers across 17 games he appeared in between 2023 and 2025. Prosecutors have charged Clase, along with three others including his Cleveland teammate Luis Ortiz (27), with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and racketeering.

The most shocking aspect is that the list of suspected fixed pitches includes postseason blockbuster games. The prosecutors' specific 18-pitch list explicitly mentions a plate appearance against New York Mets' Starling Marte in May 2023, through a pitch thrown against Detroit Tigers' Matt Vierling during the American League Division Series held in October 2024. Concrete circumstances have now surfaced indicating that even fall baseball stages, where a single pitch determines a team's fate and fans' passion, were victims of pre-scripted fraud.

Prosecutors believe the defendants leaked internal information such as specific pitch velocity and location to betting brokers in advance. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella stated in the document, "The government will prove that the defendants provided advance inside information to illegal gambling participants regarding approximately 18 of Clase's pitches and two of Ortiz's pitches," expressing strong resolve to substantiate the serious allegations.

The catalyst for this scandal was an abnormal betting pattern observed during specific pitch situations. In legal U.S. sports betting markets including Ohio, New York, and New Jersey, a distorted pattern repeatedly emerged where large sums were wagered with high confidence on outcomes like "first-pitch balls" by Ortiz and Clase. Some sports betting operators even abruptly halted sales of related products due to excessive betting concentration. The investigation gained momentum after U.S. betting regulators formally notified the MLB office of these suspicious signs.

Consequently, the MLB office and Cleveland Guardians identified relevant circumstances and immediately removed both players from active rosters in July 2025 for investigation. Clase, who left the field while on paid administrative leave (non-disciplinary suspension), is a Dominican Republic native who debuted in MLB in 2019 and was regarded as the league's top emergency reliever. He appeared in 366 career games with a record of 21 wins, 26 losses, 182 saves, and an ERA of 1.88, and was selected to the All-Star Game three times. During his final MLB season in 2025, he posted a 5-3 record with 24 saves and a 3.23 ERA across 48 games, performing exceptionally well—making fans' sense of betrayal even greater. In the 2024 season, he earned the title of Relief Pitcher of the Year with 47 saves.

Currently, Clase, Ortiz, and other defendants strongly assert their innocence against all charges. The formal jury selection process for their trial is scheduled to begin in November.

As concrete details emerge suggesting even MLB's premier stage, "fall baseball," was tainted by backroom deals, disappointment with Clase continues to grow.

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*This content was translated by AI.