PHOENIX (AP) Chris Iannetta was bloodied by a fastball to the face after hitting a home run for Arizona earlier, and the Diamondbacks beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-4 Friday night in what flared up as the latest episode of ill will between the teams.
Iannetta turned into a 93 mph pitch from reliever Johnny Barbato in the seventh inning and appeared to be struck in the nose and mouth. Iannetta was down in the dirt for several minutes with blood dripping off his face.
Iannetta eventually was helped to his feet and walked off, holding a cloth to his nose. He was taken to a hospital for further tests as a precaution, manager Torey Lovullo said.
”He was up walking around. Everything was OK,” 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, though, said he thought ”the pitch (that hit Iannetta) just got away from their pitcher. I’ll stand by that.”
Back in 2014, Diamondbacks star Paul Goldschmidt was hit by Ernesto Frieri of the Pirates in August and missed the rest of the year with a broken hand. The next day, Pirates star Andrew McCutchen was drilled in the back with a fastball.
Last May, Arizona’s Jean Segura was hit in the face during a game in Pittsburgh, setting up another round of retaliation.
Iannetta homered to start a seven-run third inning. Brandon Drury hit a three-run homer during the burst.
Drury also doubled and singled to improve his batting average at home to .448 (30 of 67), best in the majors.
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