Berríos accuses Raleigh of sign-stealing, benches clear

During Saturday's game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners, tensions flared when Blue Jays pitcher José Berríos accused Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh of relaying pitch information to his teammates from second base. The dispute led to both benches clearing, but no physical altercation or ejections occurred. Berríos later explained he confronted Raleigh to prevent hitters from gaining an unfair advantage, describing the pitcher-hitter dynamic as 'a war.' Raleigh denied relaying pitches but acknowledged that such suspicions are part of competitive baseball, stating he would want his pitchers to speak up if they thought someone was tipping pitches. Blue Jays manager John Schneider and others noted that sign-stealing, when done without technology, is generally considered part of the game, though emotions can run high in the moment. Raleigh ultimately had a strong performance, contributing a key two-run double and finishing 2-for-3 with three walks in Seattle's 8-4 extra-innings win.