Was Bryan Abreu tipping pitches in Dominican Republic WBC loss?

Was Dominican Republic pitcher Bryan Abreu tipping off his fastball in the WBC elimination loss to Puerto Rico?

Locked in a high-stakes win-or-go-home battle at the World Baseball Classic, Puerto Rico put a shock into the Dominican Republic. Few expected the dominant D.R. team to be facing elimination but the Puerto Rican side built a three-run lead and then started to hold on.

A few of the runs allowed by the Dominican Republic, though, came off of Astros reliever Bryan Abreu. And there might be a reason as to why.

Abreu might’ve been tipping his pitches, particularly his fastball, which Martin Maldonado and Kiké Hernandez both hit hard into the outfield (though Maldonado’s was an out).

Dominican Republic RHP Bryan Abreu may have been tipping pitches in WBC loss

The short leg kick and sped-up motion are used on his two-seamers, which he threw after the slider that Francisco Lindor hit a little league home run on.

However, although there is a clear tip-off Abreu gave throughout his outing, there is always a chance that the Puerto Rican team did not see it. There were no apparent indications of discussion between the team.

With that said, Maldonado did gesture toward the on-deck circle after he lined out, which could’ve been him letting Hernandez know what to look for.

The game ended with Puerto Rico winning 5-2. These runs and the momentum that was created by these events were undoubtedly a huge factor in the final result of the ballgame and, as a result, the Dominican team’s elimination from the WBC.