Overview
- Framber Valdez was ejected Tuesday in the fourth inning after a 94 mph fastball hit Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story, and both benches briefly cleared.
- The outing collapsed after back-to-back homers by Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, with Valdez giving up 10 runs, seven earned, in three innings to lift his ERA to 4.57.
- Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said he believed Valdez hit Story on purpose and called it “weak,” and Boston’s TV crew blasted the move on air.
- Valdez denied intent through an interpreter, said a rare four-seam fastball got away, and called the ejection unfair because he was not given a warning.
- The flashpoint revived scrutiny of Valdez’s temperament, with coverage recalling a 2025 game when he hit his own catcher, Cesar Salazar, after a pitch sign mix-up.