The Atlanta Braves Morning Chop – FRI 9/12
The Off-day Action
Not a lot of good things happened on the field last night, as every rival for the playoffs won – unless you count the Marlins (more on them below), who fell to the Brewers 4-2. Thus Atlanta falls to 2 games out of the wild card behind Pittsburgh and a half-game behind Milwaukee. The Marlins are now 5.5 back of the Pirates.
The Braves still control their own destiny with 16 games to play, as 4 of those contests will be at Turner Field against those Pittsburgh Pirates.
Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton hit in face by Brewers’ Mike Fiers, taken to hospital
DANIEL O’LEARY / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
In a scary moment on Thursday night, Marlins All-Star Giancarlo Stanton was hit directly in the face by Brewers pitcher Mike Fiers, leaving the NL MVP candidate dazed and bloodied.
Stanton, who is leading the National League in home runs with 37 and all of baseball with 105 RBI, was caught directly on the left cheek by a pitch. He was carted off on a stretcher as blood ran down his face and stained the ground near the back of the batter’s box where he fell.
Stanton, who received a round of applause while being carted off, was taken to the hospital and treated for multiple facial fractures, facial lacerations that required stitches and dental damage, according to the Marlins. The team said Stanton will return to Miami Friday for further evaluation.
Stanton’s father was in attendance at the game and came on the field after his son was hit, according to the Associated Press. Marlins manger Mike Redmond said he would expect his star to miss the rest of the season.
“He didn’t lose consciousness out on the field, but he was bleeding heavily out of his mouth,” Redmond said.” It’s devastating for us. Devastating. For his season to end like that, I mean, that’s not good.”
[ Editor’s notes:
- the video (see link above) seems to show that Stanton was hit almost directly on the left cheekbone
- this injury comes at a terrible time for Miami, which was actually challenging the Braves for second place in the NL East
- there could be other implications: recent rumblings have been made that the Marlins are preparing to make a significant long-term contract to Stanton – one that fangraphs.com estimated should exceed $300 million.
]
Today in Braves’ History: The Streak Officially Ended
SEPTEMBER 12, 2006: The Braves are mathematically eliminated from the division race as the Mets beat the Marlins, 6-4. The New York victory ends Atlanta’s streak of fourteen straight division titles, the longest run for any professional sport.
SEPTEMBER 12, 1972: In his final appearance in a big league uniform, 29 year-old right-hander Denny McLain, who will finish his ten-year career with a 131-92 record, is tagged with the loss when he gives up three runs in the ninth inning without retiring a batter in the Braves’ 7-5 loss to Cincinnati at Atlanta Stadium. The last batter the one-time 30-game winner, rumored to have been involved with gambling and bookmaking during his time in the major leagues, will face is Pete Rose, who will be banned from baseball for life for wagering on the game.