MILWAUKEE — The Miami Marlins lost much more than a game Thursday night. They’ve likely lost slugger Giancarlo Stanton for the rest of the season after a frightening scene at Miller Park.
Stanton sustained multiple facial fractures, dental damage and cuts that needed stitches after being hit in the face by a fastball from Milwaukee’s Mike Fiers.
The Marlins said Stanton, the major league RBI leader and a top candidate for the NL MVP award, would return to Miami on Friday.
Stanton’s father was at the game and came onto the field while his son was treated. Stanton was bleeding heavily from his mouth, and was driven away from the plate in an ambulance. His dad rode with him to the hospital.
Asked if Stanton could play again this season, Marlins manager Mike Redmond said, “It does not look good.”
“It’s devastating for us. Devastating. For his season to end like that, I mean, that’s not good,” Redmond said.
Redmond said Stanton did not lose consciousness. Stanton did not say anything while down on the ground, Redmond said.
“It was very, scary,” Redmond said. “We’re hoping he is going to be all right.”
The All-Star outfielder tops the NL with 37 home runs and has 105 RBIs, and is batting .288. Miami has 17 games left this year.
It was ruled that Stanton swung trying to get out of the way of the 88 mph pitch from Fiers. Reed Johnson batted for Stanton and was hit in the hand by Fiers’ next pitch, triggering a bench-clearing brawl.
Miami’s Casey McGehee and Redmond were ejected.
It was also ruled that Johnson swung at the pitch that hit him, ending the inning with two runners on base.
Redmond was upset with the strike calls.
“I’ve never seen anything like that and I’ve definitely never seen two swings called on those two plays,” Redmond said. “I’ve never seen a guy get hit in the mouth and called for a swing. He’s out there bleeding at home plate and for the first base ump to say he swung at that pitch, what a joke.”
Plate umpire Jeff Kellogg said he consulted with first base umpire D.J. Reyburn and determined that both Stanton and Johnson had swung.
“We’ve both looked at it and, yes, he did swing. They both did, at those pitches,” Kellogg said.
Redmond and Johnson said the benches cleared because of the reaction by Fiers after Johnson get hit. Fiers threw up his hands and looked into the Marlins’ dugout.
“He just knocked out our best player, hit him in the mouth and then you just hit another guy in the hand,” Redmond said. “What are we supposed to do? No doubt, we’re trying to win games, they’re trying to win games, but you just hit a guy in the mouth.”
Fiers said he didn’t want to get into what happened after Johnson was hit.
“It was heat of the moment stuff,” Fiers said. “I just want to make sure that Stanton is OK. I just want to send my thoughts and prayers and everything to Stanton.
“You never think of throwing at somebody like that. Never in my life has that happened. I just feel very, very sad that I hit him. I’m sorry to their teammates, their fans, his family. It is just tough.”
RED SOX 6, ROYALS 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The last-place Boston Red Sox took advantage of three critical errors by the first-place Kansas City Royals and ended a four-game losing streak.
Clay Buchholz (8-8) beat the Royals for the sixth straight time. Edward Mujica handled a perfect ninth for his fifth save.
Kansas City’s advantage in the AL Central dropped to a half-game over idle Detroit.
Liam Hendriks (1-2) failed to last three innings while making a spot start for left-hander Danny Duffy, who is shelved with shoulder soreness. The Royals’ defense didn’t do Hendriks any favors, making all three errors in the first four innings.
YANKEES 5, RAYS 4
NEW YORK — Chris Young broke up Alex Cobb’s no-hit bid in the eighth inning and then launched a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth that rallied the New York Yankees over Tampa Bay.
Pinch-hitter Martin Prado connected for a two-run shot immediately after Cobb was pulled in the eighth. Young homered off closer Jake McGee (4-2) with one out to win it.
Clinging to slim playoff hopes, New York finished 5-4 on its penultimate homestand.
Yunel Escobar homered twice and drove in four runs for Tampa Bay.
Shawn Kelley (3-5) got two outs for the win.
WHITE SOX 1, ATHLETICS 0
CHICAGO — Chris Sale bested Scott Kazmir in a brilliant pitchers’ duel, light-hitting Marcus Semien homered for the only run and the Chicago White Sox edged rapidly fading Oakland.
The A’s lost for the 11th time in 14 games. Their lead in the AL wild-card race dwindled to one game over Detroit and 1 1-2 over Seattle, both of which were idle.
Sale (12-3) gave up two hits in eight innings, allowing a pair of singles to Jed Lowrie. Between the hits, the left-hander retired 17 batters in order.
Sale lowered his ERA to an AL-best 1.99, striking out nine. Jake Petricka yielded one hit and got his 13th save.
Kazmir (14-8) went the distance, giving up four hits and striking out seven. Semien hit a leadoff homer in the sixth.
REDS 1, CARDINALS 0
CINCINNATI — Johnny Cueto pitched eight scoreless innings to beat Lance Lynn and send the St. Louis Cardinals to their third consecutive loss.
Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 33rd save and third in the last three games.
Cueto (18-8) allowed just three hits and hit a batter to help the Reds win their second series in the last 13 against Central Division-leading St. Louis.
Lynn (15-9) retired 15 straight before Brandon Phillips led off the eighth inning with the Reds’ first walk. He went to third on Jay Bruce’s single and scored on Ramon Santiago’s sinking liner to short center that John Jay got a glove on but couldn’t hold. Bruce had to hold up to see if the ball was caught and was forced at second.
NATIONALS 6, METS 2
NEW YORK — Adam LaRoche and Anthony Rendon had two-run homers off Bartolo Colon, who was ejected after hitting the following batter both times, and the Washington Nationals beat the Mets for their 12th straight win at Citi Field.
The Nationals increased their NL East lead to 8 1/2 games over second-place Atlanta and lowered their magic number to nine for clinching their second division title in three seasons.
New York had won four in a row.
Tanner Roark (13-10) improved to 4-0 in four career starts against the Mets.
Rendon homered in the fourth and Colon (13-12) hit Jayson Werth above the left elbow with the next pitch.
ANGELS 7, RANGERS 3
ARLINGTON, Texas — Erick Aybar hit an early two-run homer and eight Angels pitchers combined to beat Texas, the eighth straight win for Los Angeles.
Los Angeles won for the 14th time in 16 games and moved 10 games ahead of second-place Oakland in the AL West.
Aybar homered off Nick Martinez (3-11) in the second inning.
Mike Morin (4-3), the Angels’ fifth pitcher, got the win.
GIANTS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 2
SAN FRANCISCO — Jake Peavy struck out eight and didn’t walk a batter to win his third start in a row and the San Francisco Giants beat Arizona for their ninth straight home victory.
Hunter Pence put the Giants ahead on a quirky RBI single in the first. Pence literally threw his bat at the ball, which hit the front corner of second base and skipped into shallow right-center. Pence also drew a bases-loaded walk.
San Francisco, which leads the NL wild-card standings, pulled within two games of the idle Dodgers a day before a key weekend series against the NL West leaders at AT&T Park.
Peavy (5-4) walked off to a standing ovation in the sixth.
Randall Delgado (3-4) was tagged for three runs and seven hits in four innings.
PIRATES 4, PHILLIES 1
PHILADELPHIA — Francisco Liriano struck out a season-high 12 in eight dominant innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat Philadelphia.
Liriano (5-10) pitched the Pirates to their seventh win in eight games, strengthening their hold on the second NL wild-card spot.
Mark Melancon allowed one of two runners left by Jared Hughes to score in the ninth, but earned his 29th save in 33 opportunities.
Philadelphia starter A.J. Burnett (8-16) allowed four runs and six hits in six innings.
INDIANS 8, TWINS 2, 1ST GAME
INDIANS 2, TWINS 0, 2ND GAME
CLEVELAND — Rookie T.J. House pitched seven sharp innings, Carlos Santana homered and drove in both runs and the Cleveland Indians completed a doubleheader sweep over Minnesota.
Santana also homered in the first game, backing another strong performance by Corey Kluber (15-9).
Cleveland moved closer in the races for both the AL Central title and the wild card. The Indians trail Detroit by 3 1-2 games for the second wild-card spot, and visit the Tigers for a three-game series starting Friday night.
House (3-3) held Minnesota to four hits, struck out eight and didn’t walk a batter. Cody Allen worked the ninth for his 20th save.
Santana has 27 home runs, matching his career high. His leadoff homer on a 1-2 pitch in the fourth was the only mistake Ricky Nolasco (5-11) made in seven innings.
Kyle Gibson (11-11) lost in the opener.