After Loss to Yankees, Pirates Shift Focus to Injured Misiewicz

 One of the most frightening plays in sports occurred at PNC Park in the sixth inning of Friday night’s game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees.

Pirates second baseman Ji Hwan Bae hit a 100.6 mph line drive up the middle. Yankees relief pitcher Anthony Misiewicz was unable to get out of the way of the screamer and the ball struck the left-hander in the head/face area.

Misiewicz immediately fell to the ground before the Yankees’ medical staff came out to assist him

After several minutes on the ground, Misiewicz rose to his feet and was helped over to a medical cart, where he sat in the front seat with a towel over his face as he was driven off.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton opened up his postgame press conference by offering some words on what happened.

“Before we start, we want to take the game away and wish our best to Anthony. That’s scary. I’ve seen that too many times. That’s a scary sight. Thoughts and prayers go out to him, first and foremost.”

Later on in the game, it was announced that Misiewicz was alert and oriented. He was assessed by Pirates’ team doctors and was transported to Allegheny General Hospital, where he will undergo further testing.

The frightening play left both dugouts and the 31,534 fans in attendance deeply concerned.

As hard as it is to see something like that occur, there is still a game to be played. Players on both teams tried their best to get it out of their minds and continue playing.

“It’s tough. You never want to see anything like that,” Colin Holderman said. “I hope he’s alright. You forget about the game for a while. You just hope the guy’s alright. It’s tough to lock it back in, but that’s what we do. It happens. It happens year after year. You have to lock back in. You have a job to do.”

After reaching first base on the single, Bae was visibly and understandably shaken up by what happened.

“I saw the ball going through to him and I saw his face, too, so I got a little bit of shock,” Bae said after the game. “I was just feeling really sorry about him. It was an accident. Nothing we can do. Just praying, watching him.”

It’s the side of baseball that nobody ever wants to see. Only 60-feet-6-inches separate a pitcher and a batter, even less when you consider where a pitcher lands after delivering a pitch.

The Pirates went on to lose 7-5 to the Yankees after New York rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth inning.