Valbuena says he’ll continue to flip his bat

Luis Valbuena said his bat flips have been a part of his game since he was a rookie, a habit generally meant to express his joy for baseball and to celebrate triumphs inside the batter’s box. “I’ve done it all my life,” Valbuena said. “It’s natural to me.” On Wednesday, Astros pitcher Mike Fiers took offense to it, and fired a ball over Valbuena’s head.