Holliday not healed, but back in lineup after being hit in nose by pitch
It evidently requires more than getting hit by a pitch in the nose and upper lip to keep Matt Holliday out of the St. Louis Cardinals lineup.
Holliday was plunked by San Diego’s Andrew Cashner in the game Thursday. Spitting blood, Holliday was ushered to the dugout and into the trainer’s room for treatment.
But the 36-year-old Holliday played left field and batted fourth in the opener of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.
His nose is still a little sore. We got lucky right there. That could have been really bad. The lip is a little sore, but not like the nose. He was anxious to get back in there and play today.
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny on Matt Holliday returning to the lineup Friday
“His nose is still a little sore,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “We got lucky right there. That could have been really bad. The lip is a little sore, but not like the nose. He was anxious to get back in there and play today.”
Holliday acted as though he wanted to remain in the game Thursday. But with so much bleeding, it was impossible.
Matheny said Holliday talked to him after the game Thursday about playing Friday.
“I understand that,” Matheny said. “You just want to get back in there and play the game and not dwell on that stuff too much.”
Matheny can relate; the same thing happened to him in 1998 when he played for Milwaukee and was drilled by a pitch from Pittsburgh reliever Rich Loiselle. Like Holliday, Matheny started the next game despite losing several teeth.
“I spit a lot of blood, to the point where I thought I was going to pass out on the field. So I figured I better get out of Dodge. I remember that well,” said Matheny, who relives the experience with his dentist every time they are together.
“I got hit pretty square, but it was still in a ‘good’ spot,” Matheny said. “There have been other guys that haven’t been as fortunate. ... You can’t necessarily prepare for that or be thinking about it or else you’re going to take away your chances of success. You just go and play the game and trust your instincts to get you out of the way.”
David Wilhelm: 618-239-2665, @DavidMWilhelm
Cardinals 3, Dodgers 3 (through 11 innings)
Jedd Gyorko – who else? – hit a two-out, bases-empty home run off Kenley Jansen in the ninth inning to bring the Cardinals into a tie. The game was still knotted at press start. Gyorko’s homer was his fifth in five games.
By the numbers
Michael Wacha received no decision for St. Louis. He allowed two runs (earned) on 10 hits in six innings, with one walk and four strikeouts. ... Dodgers starter Brandon McCarthy permitted two runs (one earned) on one hit in 6 1/3 innings before leaving with an undisclosed injury. ... Howie Kendrick and Jacob Turner homered for the Dodgers. Turner’s homer against Seung Hwan Oh in the ninth gave Los Angeles a short-lived 3-2 lead. ... Cardinals rookie Aledmys Diaz had two singles and has reached base in 25 consecutive games.
Up next
Mike Leake (7-7, 4.00 ERA) vs. Kenta Maeda (8-7, 3.25 ERA), 6:15 p.m. Saturday
This story was originally published July 23, 2016 at 1:09 AM with the headline "Holliday not healed, but back in lineup after being hit in nose by pitch."