The trial of two Cleveland Guardians pitchers accused of rigging pitches for gamblers started on Monday with jury selection in federal court in Brooklyn.

Closer Emmanuel Clase and starter Luis Ortiz face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud. They are also charged with sports bribery and money laundering.

It is the first of five recent federal sports gambling cases involving alleged game manipulation by athletes to go to trial.

What prosecutors say

The government says Clase, 28, rigged at least 18 pitches in 17 games from May 2023 to May 2025. Prosecutors say he threw balls on purpose or tipped off bettors about the type or speed of a pitch. They say he used code words like "rooster" and "chicken."

Bettors allegedly placed more than 100 wagers and won at least $400,000 on Clase's pitches.

Ortiz, 27, is accused of fixing two pitches in two games in June 2025. Sportsbooks flagged unusual betting on those pitches against the Seattle Mariners and the St. Louis Cardinals.

What the defense says

Clase's lawyers say his pitches were normal baseball strategy. "In isolation, any single pitch in the dirt can be painted as nefarious," they wrote in a September filing.

They have also said Clase was talking with friends about betting on rooster fighting in the Dominican Republic, where it is legal.

Ortiz's lawyers say he never talked with the bettors. "Not once. Not by text, not by phone, not in person," they wrote.

A three-week trial

Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto is overseeing the case. The government expects the trial to last about three weeks. Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff and officials from MLB and DraftKings are among the possible witnesses.

MLB put both pitchers on paid leave in July 2025. They were indicted four months later. The wire fraud and money laundering charges carry up to 20 years in prison.