Edgar Gonzalez Hit In Head By Fastball -- Mlb FanHouse

Gonzalez Hit in Head by 93 Mph Fastball

Posted Jul 19, 2009 6:07 AM

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SAN DIEGO (July 19) -- The San Diego Padres’ locker room was quiet after this victory. No music, no happy banter. Just thoughts about injured teammate Edgar Gonzalez.

Gonzalez was hit in the head with a pitch in the sixth, an inning before pinch-hitter Chase Headley hit a go-ahead leadoff homer in San Diego’s 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.

Scary Scene at Padres Game

San Diego Padres' Edgar Gonzalez grabs his head as Colorado Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba and home plate umpire Greg Gibson run to help him after Gonzalez was hit by a pitch during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 18, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

Fans look on as San Diego Padres Edgar Gonzalez, center, is taken from the field after Gonzalez was hit in head with a pitch during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies Saturday, July 18, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

"I saw the ball ricochet and it’s a scary thing," Padres starter Kevin Correia said. "Being a pitcher, it’s scary for you and it’s scary for the hitter."

Gonzalez immediately fell to the ground clutching his head after he was hit by Jason Hammel’s 93 mph fastball near the left ear hole on his batting helmet. After several minutes, Gonzalez was helped to a cart by the team’s two trainers and driven off the field.

Manager Bud Black said he was told by the trainers on the field that Gonzalez was "conscious, he was lucid and he knew what happened. But he was extremely dizzy and his ears were ringing."

Black said Gonzalez had gone to a hospital for tests but the results would not be known until Sunday.

"It’s something you don’t want to see happen," Hammel said. "I hope he’s all right. I’ll be checking in on him. I was effectively wild and, unfortunately, effectively wild was dangerous."

Edgar’s brother, All-Star Adrian Gonzalez, was pulled from the game when the inning ended to go to the hospital where Edgar was being treated.

Headley was pinch hitting in Adrian Gonzalez’s spot in the lineup, which had been occupied by reliever Greg Burke (2-1) following several lineup changes. He fell behind 0-2 before he worked the count full and connected on his ninth homer to break a 1-all tie.

"You’re trying to put the ball in play," Headley said. "Once you get to 3-2, it changes the at-bat a bit. But I’m just trying to get on base. I wasn’t trying to hit a home run, but I got a good pitch to hit."

Joel Peralta (0-3) allowed Headley’s homer and then gave up an RBI single to Eliezer Alfonso in the inning.

The loss was only the Rockies’ 10th in 39 games since June 4. San Diego won for just the second time in 11 games, but still owns the majors’ worst record (12-29) since June 1.

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 18: Orlando Hudson #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers turns a double play in the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium on July 18, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Orlando Hudson;Chris Coste

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 18: Mike Hampton #11 of the Houston Astros pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 18, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mike Hampton

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 18: Manny Ramirez #99 of the Los Angeles Dodgers congratulates teammate Rafael Furcal #15 after scoring in the first inning against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium on July 18, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Manny Ramirez;Rafael Furcal

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 18: Miguel Tejada #10 of the Houston Astros hits a single in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 18, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Miguel Tejada

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 18: Rafael Furcal #15 of the Los Angeles Dodgers scores in the first inning against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium on July 18, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rafael Furcal

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Colorado Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki yells after striking out for the final out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres Saturday, July 18, 2009 in San Diego. The Padres won 3-1. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

San Diego Padres' Chase Headley, right, is congratulated by teammate Kevin Kouzmanoff, left, as Colorado Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba, center, looks on after Headley hit a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 18, 2009 in San Diego. The Padres won 3-1. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

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San Diego Padres pitcher Heath Bell reacts after getting the final out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies Saturday, July 18, 2009 in San Diego. The Padres won 3-1. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre points as fans hold up signs to wish him a happy 69th birthday after the Dodgers defeated the Houston Astros 5-2 during a Major League Baseball, Saturday, July 18, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)

Heath Bell pitched the ninth for his 24th save in 25 chances to complete the combined four-hitter.

Correia allowed one run on three hits in six innings. Burke and Luke Gregerson pitched one perfect inning each.

"(Correia) was able to regroup and get through six innings when he really wasn’t on top of his game," Black said.

"It wasn’t pretty," Correia said. "I was able to make pitches when I needed to rather than just winging the ball up there. If that’s going to a bad (outing), then that’s pretty good."

Hammel gave up one run on five hits in 5 2-3 innings with seven strikeouts and three walks. Hammel also hit three batters.

After getting the first two outs of the sixth, Hammel hit Gonzalez, then walked pinch-hitter Drew Macias before he was pulled.

"He looked shaky to me," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "We gave him Macias and he looked very tentative. When we saw that, I don’t think it was feasible to continue any further."

Colorado scored in the first inning when Dexter Fowler led off with a double and came home on Brad Hawpe's two-out double.

The Padres tied the scored when Hammel issued a two-out, bases-loaded walk to Kyle Blanks on four pitches. Hammel escaped further trouble when he struck out Alfonso.

It was the third time since the start of the four-game series against the Rockies on Thursday night that Alfonso has made an out with the bases loaded. In Thursday night’s game, Alfonso stranded eight runners, including five in scoring position.

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2009-07-19 06:01:42