Bettors testify that Cleveland Guardians rigged pitching trial

Two men said they placed bets on Emmanuel Clase’s performance based on “inside information” tipped to them from mutual friends.BROOKLYN (CN) — Friday marked the end of the first week of trial against two MLB pitchers accused of sharing inside information with bettors, as a cooperating witness testified he used the information to win tens of thousands of dollars on DraftKings.Former Cleveland Guardians players Emmanuel Clase and Luiz Ortiz face conspiracy charges involving wire fraud, honest services wire fraud, influencing sporting contests by bribery and money laundering. The most serious counts carry up to 20 years in prison. Robinson Vasquez, a friend of Clase’s, is also on trial.On Friday, government cooperator Luis de Aza testified that a network of men, some connected through their home country of the Dominican Republic and others living together in Nantucket, Massachusetts, used “inside information” from Enoc Peña to bet on Clase’s pitches.Prosecutors say Clase typically told the group, through Peña, when he would throw a ball or pitch below 94.95 mph, enabling proposition bets totaling around half a million dollars.Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Sherman reviewed text messages, calls and spreadsheets documenting de Aza’s 2023 season bets, showing how he placed multiple wagers on single pitches, sometimes using an account in his wife’s name, after calls from Peña or messages prosecutors say were coded to conceal the scheme.In a screenshot sent to de Aza, for instance, Clase writes, “it’s chicken number three after killing the first two, [play/bet] on three,” according to a translation shown to the jury. “And if I can’t kill him, don’t [play/bet].”De Aza testified that the code meant Clase, the Guardians’ closer and a cockfighting enthusiast who owns dozens of roosters in the Dominican Republic, would rig his next pitch after striking out the first two batters.Sherman presented evidence that de Aza won more than $14,000 in June 2023 by betting on one of Clase’s pitches and placing a parlay combining that pitch with a prediction on another game. De Aza placed the bets June 7, shortly after a call from Peña.Under his deferred prosecution agreement, de Aza will surrender nearly $70,000 in winnings.Defense attorneys blamed Peña, calling him a “serial liar” with a gambling addiction who used Clase to scam friends. De Aza and an earlier cooperating witness both testified that they shared their winnings with Peña.“Emmanuel, ladies and gentlemen, was not anyone’s co-conspirator. He was Enoc Peña’s target to be exploited. He was Mr. Peña’s mark,” Clase’s defense attorney Michael Bronson said in his opening statement.The government previously was expected to call Peña as a witness, but may no longer do so.In her opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Urquiola said Clase and Ortiz are “cheaters” whose tips allowed for rigged bets that pulled in hundreds of thousands of dollars.“Baseball is thrilling because nobody knows what will happen next,” Urquiola said. But the defendants told their friends “exactly what was going to happen … before the game even started.”The trial is expected to last three weeks. Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto denied the players’ motions to dismiss the charges and Ortiz’s request for a separate trial.On Thursday, jurors heard from defense witness Bo Naylor, a former Guardians catcher now with the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers. He testified out of turn because he was flying to Italy for his wedding.After reviewing footage of Clase’s pitches, including those under scrutiny and similar throws not in question, Naylor testified that none appeared unusual.He discussed how catchers strategize for each opposing batter and signal to the pitcher what pitch to throw, but acknowledged on cross-examination that it’s the pitcher who has final say when it comes to how he’ll throw.Matsumoto, a George W. Bush appointee, occasionally stepped in to ask Naylor to clarify some baseball rules, like the difference between an outing and an inning, and which team goes up to bat first.The judge occasionally urged the parties to move along with questioning, noting that Naylor had a flight to catch.When Naylor’s final round of questioning ended, Matsumoto appeared to put to use her growing baseball knowledge, telling the player cheerfully, “All right, sir. You’re out.”Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads