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Volquez: Cueto accused Blue Jays of stealing signs in Game 3

Peter Llewellyn / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Kansas City Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez said Johnny Cueto suggested the Toronto Blue Jays were stealing signs Monday night at the Rogers Centre, where the 29-year-old endured one of the worst starts in postseason history.

Cueto, who allowed eight runs while recording just six outs en route to an 11-8 loss in Game 3, said the Blue Jays had "somebody" in center field relaying signs to Toronto's hitters, according to Volquez.

"He said, I think he said last night, they got a guy in center field," Volquez told reporters ahead of Game 4 on Tuesday. "You see how hard it is, he look to the center field and he see somebody do this or do that, it's really hard to do that. I don't know, he said that. But when the guy gets on second base, he said something about that, too, they were giving signs to the hitter. But I don't know."

Volquez, however, attempted to put the onus on Cueto, who's now the third pitcher - and first starter - in MLB history to allow eight runs while recording six outs or fewer in a postseason game. In his previous start, Cueto limited the Houston Astros to two runs over eight innings in Game 5 of the ALDS, but surrendered four runs in six frames in Game 2 of the division series.

"Johnny said last night, but that's your fault," Volquez added. "You've got to hide the ball and have better communication with the catcher giving you signs when you're pitching. So it's nothing wrong with it. We just have to hide the ball and give multiple signs to hide it from them."

This isn't the first time a pitcher has accused the Blue Jays of stealing signs. In 2011, an ESPN report cited anonymous sources who claimed Toronto had a "man in white" stationed in center field relaying signs to the Blue Jays' hitters from 2009-2010.

"First of all, I don't even know how you can do that," Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista said at the time. "And second of all, it's obviously something that's not legal in the game. We do not cheat."

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