Clase pleads

not guilty

NEW YORK (AP) — Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has pleaded not guilty to charges that he took bribes to help gamblers win bets on the pitches he threw. The 27-year-old three-time All-Star appeared in Brooklyn federal court Thursday.

He was arrested earlier at JFK airport after returning to the country from his native Dominican Republic. Teammate and countryman Luis Ortiz pleaded not guilty Wednesday to similar charges. The two have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July, when MLB began investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched.

Prosecutors say the two accepted thousands of dollars in bribes to help unnamed gamblers in the Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on bets placed on their pitches.

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