The Seattle Mariners defeated the New York Yankees by a 6-3 final on Tuesday night, guaranteeing at least a split as part of an ongoing four-game series. Part of the Mariners victory included plating a pair of runs off Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt, thereby ending what had grown to a career-best 17 2/3 innings scoreless streak. After the game, Schmidt expressed his belief that he had been tipping his pitches, and that the Mariners identified the tell and used it to their advantage.
Specifically, Schmidt noted how Mariners infielder Josh Rojas appeared to be relaying messages from second base after hitting a double in the third inning. Rojas' work was rewarded when the next batter up, Dylan Moore, launched a two-run home run to give Seattle an early 2-0 lead.
Dylan Moore, everyday player ... 104.1 mph off the bat, 386 feet.
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) May 21, 2024
His fifth of the season, in a full count, and it puts the Mariners on the board first ... Of note: They are 21-8 when scoring first. pic.twitter.com/bxzanJEms2
"It was a quality pitch, for sure," Schmidt told MLB.com. "Tipping is a part of this game, and it's always in the back of our heads. It's something that we're well aware of. I think [Rojas] was definitely probably relaying some signs there at second. Obviously, it paid off for them."
Rojas, for his part, seemed to confirm Schmidt's suspicions on Wednesday.
"I mean, you can see in the videos he was clearly tipping," Rojas told Daniel Kramer, also of MLB.com. "Everybody is always trying to look for something when we're out there, trying to find anything we can to gain an advantage."
To be clear, what Schmidt and Rojas are describing is an accepted part of the game. Provided the opposition isn't improperly using technology to pick up on or relay tells -- the way the Houston Astros were found to have done years ago -- there's nothing wrong or unjust about noticing a tell and relaying it to your team.
This kind of codebreaking is common around the game, even during the PitchCom era. Pay close enough attention to runners on second base, especially when pitchers aren't careful to hold their gloves in a manner that shields their grip, and you'll see them send signals back to their batters -- sometimes by looking one way or another for a certain pitch or location, other times indicating pitch type or location by where they place their hands.
You don't have to take our word for it, either. Just listen to Schmidt.
"If I'm giving away the pitches, then it's a credit to them to be able to find it," he said after Tuesday's game. "Especially a credit to Moore for being able to capitalize on a mistake. So it's definitely part of the game."
