On April 21, 1958 — Frank House of the Kansas City Athletics scores two runs as a pinch hitter in an eight-run 8th inning, as the Athletics trim the Cleveland Indians, 9 – 4. House’s feat is just only the sixth occurrence in major league history.
Giancarlo Stanton is hit in the face by a ball thrown by the Brewers’ Mike Fiers in the 5th inning. The Marlins’ best player suffers multiple facial fractures and broken teeth after lying motionless at home plate, bleeding profusely, for several minutes after the beaning and is carried away on a stretcher. Stanton was swinging on the pitch, so it is called a strike; pinch-hitter Reed Johnson completes the at-bat, and strikes out on a pitch that hits him on the hand, prompting both benches to clear. Marlins manager Mike Redmond and 3B Casey McGehee are both ejected for arguing umpire D.J. Reyburn’s decision to call both pitches strikes. In the 6th, Miami pitcher Anthony DeSclafani is also thumbed, for hitting Carlos Gomez on the left elbow in a gesture that is seen as retaliation; bench coach Rob Leary also gets the heave-ho since he is now the acting manager and both benches had been warned. For his part, Fiers leaves the game after striking out Johnson and issues an immediate emotional apology, denying any intention to hit Stanton. Incidentally, the Brewers win the game, 4 – 2.
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September 11, 2014
