Cal Raleigh reacts to Jose Berrios’ pitch-tipping accusation

“They thought I was relaying,” Raleigh said. “I wasn’t. If you look at the results, Rowdy [Tellez] was way off-balance. I didn’t have the pitches. But that’s just how it is. I’d want my pitchers doing the same thing if they thought someone was tipping.”

Raleigh added that he understood the emotional response in the heat of the moment, calling it “competitive baseball.” Blue Jays manager John Schneider echoed that sentiment, saying sign stealing and pitch tipping are part of the game.

“Teams do that. We get it,” Schneider said. “In the heat of the moment, you get a little fired up. I didn’t think the benches needed to clear. But I like when our guys are sticking up for themselves.”

Despite the brief fireworks, Raleigh went on to have a strong night at the plate. He finished 2-for-3 with three walks, including a go-ahead two-run double off Berrios in the fifth inning. His performance raised his slugging percentage to .580 and gave him 13 RBIs on the season.

Berrios gave the Blue Jays six solid innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits. But a seventh-inning homer from Ben Williamson tied the game and forced extra innings. Seattle eventually pulled away in the 12th, scoring five runs en route to an 8-4 victory. With tensions high and one game left in the series, all eyes will be on the finale Sunday. Whether this spark ignites something further remains to be seen, but for now, Raleigh’s bat continues doing the talking.