Framber Valdez apologizes to César Salazar after hitting him with a pitch

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston starter Framber Valdez said he apologized to catcher César Salazar after hitting him in the chest with a pitch Tuesday night, but he insisted that he didn’t hit his teammate on purpose.

Valdez gave up a grand slam to Trent Grisham in the fifth inning of the 7-1 loss to the New York Yankees. On the next pitch, Valdez hit Salazar in the chest.

“What happened with us, we just got crossed up,” Valdez said in Spanish through a translator. “I called for that pitch, I threw it and we got crossed up. We went down to the dugout and I excused myself with him and I said sorry to him and I take full responsibility for that.”

Valdez was then asked directly if he did it on purpose.

“No,” he said. “It was not intentional.”

Valdez and Salazar were talking when reporters entered the clubhouse after the game and Valdez said they had sorted things out.

“We were able to talk through it,” he said. “We spoke after the game… at his locker and everything’s good between us. It’s just stuff that happens in baseball. But yeah, we talked through it and we’re good.”

Salazar was asked about what happened on the pitch where he was hit.

“The stadium was loud,” he said. “I thought I pressed the button, but I pressed the wrong button. I was expecting another pitch, but it wasn’t it.”

Salazar said Valdez didn’t hit him on purpose.

“No, me and Framber we actually have a really good relationship,” he said.

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