BALTIMORE (AP) — Craig Albernaz was struck in the face by a line drive, then returned after receiving treatment to embrace the guy who sent the baseball whistling into the dugout.
That's because Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson did more than just injure his manager. He also hit a grand slam that helped Baltimore erase a six-run deficit in a 9-7 win over Arizona on Monday night.
Turns out, Albernaz wasn't seriously hurt by the liner that struck
him in the left cheek. But he was immediately taken into the tunnel and treated by the team's medical staff.
“He’s doing good. Just as a precaution, he’s going to get it scanned,” said bench coach Donnie Ecker, who pinch-hit for Albernaz at the postgame news conference.
Jackson, meanwhile, was delighted to see Albernaz emerge from the tunnel to give him a big hug after the sixth-inning grand slam that cut a 7-2 deficit to a single run.
“That was awesome,” Jackson said of the impromptu embrace from his manager. “You never want to hurt anybody, and Alby’s awesome. It sucked. But he wore it well and he’s in good spirits so it made me feel better.”
One inning earlier, Jackson looked on in horror as the foul ball went from his bat directly to his manager's face.
“I hit and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face. My heart kind of dropped,” Jackson said. “I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.”
Albernaz, in his first season as Baltimore's manager, appears to be popular with his players.
“Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better,” Jackson said. “I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
