HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Astros starter Framber Valdez said he apologized to catcher César Salazar after hitting him in the chest with a pitch Tuesday night, but he insisted that he didn’t hit his teammate on purpose.

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Valdez gave up a grand slam to Trent Grisham in the fifth inning of the 7-1 loss to the New York Yankees . On the next pitch, Valdez hit Salazar in the chest.

“What happened with us, we just got crossed up,” Valdez said in Spanish through a translator . “I called for that pitch, I threw it and we got crossed up. We went down to the dugout and I excused myself with him and I said sorry to him and I take full responsibility for that.”

Valdez was then asked directly if he did it on purpose.

“No,” he sa

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