Framber Valdez Responds to Foreign Substance Accusations

Updated: Sep 10, 5:00pm UTC

The Houston Astros captured a victory in Game 2 thanks to a strong outing from Framber Valdez. However, some observers openly wondered on social media if Valdez was using some kind of foreign substance to help him against the Philadelphia Phillies due to some questionable behavior on the mound.

After the game, Valdez responded to anyone accusing him of cheating.

The 2022 All-Star strongly pushed back on any illicit behavior. He said anything suspicious is just "tendencies" and his way of "distracting the hitter." Valdez also made sure to point out the Astros are "winning legally."

Given Houston's reputation, it's no wonder there's extra scrutiny around anything their players do that looks abnormal. Videos circulating around social media had fans convinced Valdez was using something to aid his performance on the mound.

However, Phillies manager Rob Thomson downplayed any cheating concerns due to the regular umpire checks enforced by MLB. He also noted Valdez's unique antics on the mound are nothing new.

This World Series has already had its fair share of controversy in just the first two contests. It was revealed after Game 1 that Houston catcher Martin Maldonado used an illegal bat, though no discipline resulted from that.

With the series now tied 1-1, expect plenty of more drama as these teams looks to gain the edge. FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB odds project the Astros as -134 moneyline favorites ahead of Game 3.

Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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