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Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York say they identified 18 pitches thrown by Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase over 17 games between 2023 and 2025 as part of a gambling case centered on advance information for bettors.
Clase, teammate Luis Ortiz and two others were charged last November with wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. Jury selection is scheduled to begin in November.
Prosecutors narrow the alleged pitch-tipping conduct
According to a court filing, the government plans to try to prove that bettors received inside information in advance on one or more of roughly 18 Clase pitches and on two Ortiz pitches.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella said in the filing: “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.”
The prosecution’s list included a pitch thrown to Mets outfielder Starling Marte in May 2023 and another during the 2024 American League playoffs against Detroit’s Matt Vierling. The filing did not specify which two Ortiz pitches are at issue.
Why the case matters for sports betting integrity
The allegations go beyond ordinary game-fixing claims because prosecutors say the scheme involved sharing information about pitch location and velocity before the pitches were thrown. The fact pack also notes that two of Ortiz’s outings last year were flagged by sportsbooks for irregular betting activity on specific pitches.
That makes the case notable for betting-integrity monitoring, particularly because it ties a federal prosecution in Brooklyn to suspicious wagering patterns detected by sportsbooks.
What comes next
Both Clase and Ortiz have been on leave since June 2025. The next major date in the case is November, when jury selection is slated to begin.
For New York sports bettors, the key issue to watch is what the trial may reveal about how suspicious pitch-level betting was identified and communicated to investigators.
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Source: As reported by nypost.com.
