In a scene so chilling it caused fans at Miller Park to squirm and turn their heads, blood poured from the mouth and face of Giancarlo Stanton as he lay on the field after being struck in the face by a pitch in the fifth inning of the Milwaukee Brewers' 4-2 win.
The Marlins' star slugger was lifted onto a stretcher and taken away in an open-sided ambulance as shocked fans and players looked on in hushed silence. The Marlins reported that Stanton sustained a facial laceration and was taken to a local hospital for X-rays and a CT scan.
The 88-mph fastball thrown by Brewers pitcher Mike Fiers was anything but a glancing blow, as it appeared to strike Stanton flush on the left side of his face. There was so much blood that the grounds crew brought out scrapers to remove it from the batter's box before play resumed.
Obviously, the loss of Stanton for any length of time would be a major blow to the Marlins.
Stanton is not only the National League's home run and RBI leader, but is also a leading candidate for league Most Valuable Player honors. He has played in every game this season, helping to keep the Marlins on the fringe of wild-card contention.
With runners at second and third and two outs in the fifth, Stanton stepped in to face Fiers. But the right-hander's 0-1 pitch came straight in on Stanton's face and he was unable to duck away in time.
Stanton fell immediately, and trainers for both teams rushed out to check on him.
Stanton's father, who was seated in the front row next to the Marlins' dugout, was brought onto the field to see his son, saying a few words to him before he was carted away.
Fiers appeared to be visibly shaken, squatting and looking on from near the mound as medical personnel tended to Stanton. Marlins players looked on from the dugout, speechless.
TENSIONS RISE
But after play resumed, tensions mounted when Fiers' very next pitch also came in high and struck the hand of Reed Johnson, who had been sent in to finish Stanton's at-bat.
Angry Marlins players and coaches stormed onto the field, some pointing fingers, and the Brewers dugout emptied as well. Umpires ejected Marlins third baseman Casey McGehee, who had to be physically restrained, and manager Mike Redmond was also thrown out.
No punches were thrown, however, and order was restored.
Umpires ruled that Johnson struck out on the pitch, though, which further infuriated the Marlins. Warnings were issued to both benches, but that didn't stop Marlins rookie Anthony DeSclafani from drilling Carlos Gomez in the left elbow with a sixth-inning pitch in what was likely retaliation for the Stanton beaning. Marlins bench coach Rob Leary, who took over for Redmond, was ejected automatically, as was DeSclafani. Gomez did not react and took his base.
With 37 homers and 105 RBI, Stanton is having one of the best individual seasons in Marlins history.
CONTRACT STATUS
The Marlins intend to offer their slugger a contract extension after the season, hoping he'll accept and remain in Miami beyond 2016, the first year he is eligible for free agency. But Stanton has deflected most discussion about his future with the Marlins, saying he prefers to focus on the season and helping the team get to the playoffs.
Those chances likely took a major hit, both literally and figuratively, when Stanton went down Thursday.
Brewers 4, Marlins 1
The Marlins were sloppy defensively and silent at the plate, falling 4 1/2 back in the wild-card race.
Brewers 4, Marlins 2
Giancarlo Stanton was hit in the face with a pitch and taken off the field on a stretcher in the fifth inning. After another batter was hit, an altercation ensued.
Miami Marlins notebook
While all eyes will be on the Marlins when they offer a contract extension to Giancarlo Stanton after the season, the slugger isn't the only roster concern with major payroll ramifications.
Posted by Unknown on Thursday, September 11, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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