The Jose Valverde "Spitball"

Sunday was a very interesting day for closers. While one was vomiting after completing a save another was apparently spitting on the ball.

The incident occurred with no outs in the bottom of the 9th. The Reds C Devin Mesoraco was at the plate with a 1-2 count. Enter the "spit". Valverde then struck out Mesoraco with the very next pitch.

As one Tigers Blog suggests the "spitball pitch" didn't act as it should (spitting on the ball is generally used to make the ball drop). Valverde instead threw a high and inside 4-seam fastball which does lend some evidence that Valverde wasn't spitting on the ball.

But if he wasn't spitting on the ball then what was he doing?

The Tigers won the game 7-6.