Marlins' Stanton hit in face by pitch, taken to hospital; benches clear later

Published Sep. 11, 2014 10:30 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Marlins star slugger Giancarlo Stanton left Miller Park in an ambulance Thursday night after being hit in the face by a pitch, and both benches cleared in a chaotic scene after the next Miami hitter was hit, too, during Milwaukee's 4-2 win.

On a 0-1 count with runners at the corners with two outs in the top of the fourth, an 88-mph fastball from Brewers right-hander Mike Fiers hit Stanton on the left side of the face.

Medical personnel from both teams attended to Stanton before he was eventually placed on a stretcher and taken out on an ambulance. Afterwards, the grounds crew appeared to have to scrape Stanton's blood out of the batter's box.

Stanton was transported to a local hospital where he underwent X-rays and a CT scan. The Marlins later announced Stanton suffered a facial laceration requiring stiches, multiple facial fractures and dental damage.

Stanton, an NL Most Valuable Player candidate who leads the NL with 37 homers and the majors with 105 RBI, will return to Miami on Friday for further evaluation. But manager Mike Redmond felt like Stanton's season is over.

"It's devastating for us," said Redmond, who was ejected along with third baseman Casey McGehee during the heated fourth inning. "Devastating. For his season to end like that, that's not good.

"We just lost the MVP."

"It was very tough," said Fiers, who fought back tears while answering questions after the Brewers' win. "I've never in my life experienced something like that. It was very hard for me to take in everything at the moment and come back and throw another pitch.

"I just want to send my thoughts and prayers and everything to Giancarlo Stanton. You never think of throwing at somebody like that. Never in my life has that happened. I just feel very, very sad that I hit him. I'm sorry to their teammates, their fans, his family. It is just tough."

Fiers posted the following tweets to Stanton later in the evening. 

Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy consoled his visibly shaken pitcher during the delay.

"It was pretty scary," Lucroy said. "We were trying to get a fastball up, but not out there. (Fiers) gets a lot of (strikeouts) on fastballs up, and the ball just got away from him.

"You saw what happened. It was definitely a scary moment. I played with Giancarlo on Team USA last year, and I've played against him in the minor leagues ... you never wish that on anybody. It's just a freak accident."

First-base umpire D.J. Reyburn ruled Stanton swung on the play, making the count 0-2 for pinch-hitter Johnson. Fiers' next pitch came up and in to Johnson, hitting the veteran on the left hand. Plate umpire Jeff Kellogg appealed down to Reyburn, who said Johnson swung, which was strike three to end the inning.

McGehee, already visibly distressed, became further agitated following the pitch to Johnson. McGehee approached Kellogg at home plate, while the Marlins dugout appeared to yell at Fiers.

Fiers then threw his hands up in the direction of the Miami dugout. Led by first baseman Garrett Jones, the Marlins emptied onto the field, causing both dugouts and bullpens to clear.

The situation didn't escalate any further, but McGehee was ejected after getting in the face of Kellogg. Redmond also was tossed for arguing.

After the game, McGehee told reporters he was set off by the fact the umpires called swinging strikes on both pitches.

"I got thrown out for arguing the swing," McGehee said. "I guess I've got to know better, but at the same time you see our best player laying there knowing he's going to the hospital, and that is ruled a swing and the next pitch hits the next guy, almost the same pitch, and that's ruled a swing, too.

"As bad as the thing is with 'G' and obviously Reed getting hit, you're looking at bases loaded with the tying run at the plate. So all of a sudden they're out of the inning. That's what I got thrown out of the game for, arguing the swing."

The Marlins were angry at the way Fiers reacted after Johnson was hit on the hand, taking exception to the way he threw his hands up.

"He hit a guy in the mouth, No. 1," Redmond said. "No. 2, after he hit Reed in the hand, he looks in our dugout, throws his hands up in the air like, 'Hey, why you guys mad?'

"You just knocked out our best player, hit him in the mouth and then you just hit another guy in the hand. What are we supposed to do? What type of reaction are you thinking that we're going to give you? Right. We're just going to be like, 'Hey man, huh, don't worry about it man, it's OK?'"

During the on-field incident, Fiers had to be restrained down the first-base line by Brewers pitching coach Rick Kranitz.

"He was pretty upset that they were yelling at him because he didn't want people to think they were doing it on purpose," Lucroy said. "He got real defensive when they were yelling at him, and that's when it all happened.

"It was a tough situation all around. Tough for the umpires, tough for everybody. I was there and I didn't know what to do."

After the game, crew chief Kellogg spoke with a pool reporter about Reyburn calling swings on both hit by pitches.

"They were both ruled swings," Kellogg said. "I went to the first-base umpire and (Stanton) definitely did swing at the pitch. We've both looked at it and, yes, he did swing — they both did — at those pitches. On both of those, I went to D.J., and both times, he called it a swing.

"(McGehee) was disappointed in the ruling, but obviously they had just lost Stanton and then the next guy gets hit on the very next pitch. There was obvious frustration there."

Fiers did not return to the game, as manager Ron Roenicke replaced him with Jeremy Jeffress for the sixth inning. Fiers would not address the specifics of what was said that led to the benches clearing.

"It was heat-of-the-moment stuff," Fiers said. "I just want to make sure that Stanton is OK. I don't want to get into the whole feud between both teams. I understand their feelings. They are thinking about the situation. I understand they have to respect their teammate and back him up. I just hope that Stanton is OK."

Marlins reliever Anthony DeSclafani hit Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez in the arm with two outs in the bottom of the sixth and was immediately ejected by Kellogg. Because both benches were warned, Marlins bench coach Rob Leary, who was serving as interim manager, was automatically ejected.

The game continued without further incident, as the Brewers hung on for the victory. The Marlins dropped to 5½ games back of the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second wild card and likely will play the rest of the season without their best player.

While the win was big for the Brewers — the first time they've won consecutive games since Aug. 24 and 25 — the mood in the clubhouse was definitely conflicted.

"It sure would be nice to win games and be able to come in afterward and enjoy it," manager Ron Roenicke said. "Everybody in there feels really bad about what happened with Stanton. Hopefully he's OK. I know he got hit flush, so hopefully it works out and he's OK.

"Fiers is pretty upset. The biggest thing is he knows he didn't do it on purpose. Everybody knows that. And he wants to just make sure that they know that."

Fiers planned on reaching out to Stanton as soon as possible.

Brewers right fielder Ryan Braun, who says he knows Stanton well from the Miami area and from playing with him in the World Baseball Classic, offered his thoughts to the superstar.

"You never like to see anybody get hit anywhere near the face or the head —whether it is a batter or a pitcher," Braun said. "Stanton is one of the great players in our game today, one of the great guys in our game today. So, it is always difficult as a player to continue to play when you see something like that happen. Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with him.

"He's an incredible guy, obviously having a phenomenal year. There's a really good chance he'll end up being the NL MVP. Regardless of how good of a player he is, it is something you don't ever want to see happen to anybody. Again, we can just hope for the best."

share