Iannetta beaned, more bad blood as Dbacks top Pirates 11-4 (May 12, 2017)
PHOENIX (AP) Whether it was ill will or just an accident, a fastball to the face stirred more bad blood between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Dripping blood, Chris Iannetta was taken to a hospital after a 93 mph pitch hit him in the nose and mouth Friday night in Arizona’s 11-4 win over the Pirates. And the sight of him sprawled face down at the plate conjured up memories of the recent, raw trouble involving these teams.
Iannetta, who had homered earlier, turned into a heater from reliever Johnny Barbato in the seventh inning. After several minutes, the Arizona catcher was helped to his feet and walked off, holding a cloth to his nose.
”Everything was OK,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. ”He split his lip open and he’s at the hospital right now to get further exams. Anytime there’s head trauma, anytime there’s something that hits you in that area, you’re never comfortable until a diagnosis has been made so we’re using every precaution to make sure that he’s OK.”
In the ninth, Arizona reliever Tom Wilhelmsen hit Pittsburgh’s Chris Stewart in the leg. Stewart quickly went to first base without incident.
Lovullo stared silently for several moments when asked, if given the history between the clubs, whether this was a matter still to be finished.
Finally, he said, ”I thought the pitch just got away from their pitcher. I’ll stand by that.”
Barbato said that’s exactly what happened.
”It got away from me,” he said. ”Definitely a relief when he can get up on…
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