Reds Manager Terry Francona Blasts White Sox’s Davis Martin After Hitting Sal Stewart in the Head

Sal Stewart got hit in the head during the 3rd inning from a pitch by Davis Martin, leading to a benches clearing incident.

Reds Manager Terry Francona Blasts White Sox’s Davis Martin After Hitting Sal Stewart in the Head

Davis Martin, Terry Francona and Sal Stewart (Image via MLB/X/@CHSN_WhiteSox)

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona did not hold back on Thursday. Following the game against the Chicago White Sox, the veteran skipper blasted pitcher Davis Martin for his two high pitches, one of which hit rookie Sal Stewart in the head.

Stewart opened the scoring in this game with a solo home run in the top of the 1st inning. The 1st baseman crushed his 26th home run of the season to give his side an early lead against the AL Central team.

After the Reds put up 3 runs in the first inning, the White Sox fought back. The hosts scored once in the 1st inning and put up 3 runs in the 2nd inning to take a 4-3 lead.

In the third inning, Stewart came up to bat once again. On a 0-1 count, Martin threw a pitch that sailed high over his head.

On the very next pitch, the White Sox starter threw the pitch inside again. This one hit Stewart in the head, leading to a verbal confrontation and benches being cleared.

Fortunately, no punches were thrown in this moment. The umpires later ejected Martin from the game, which drew out huge boos from the crowd at Rate Field.

While debates raged on whether the pitch was intentional or not, Terry Francona was not pleased with this. The 67-year-old expressed that the pitcher was “extremely blatant” and the pitches could have seriously hurt someone.

That was extremely blatant. You can’t throw two balls at that head high. You could kill somebody. I thought that was terrible.

Terry Francona told the reporters

Stewart ended up having the last laugh. He finished the day with 2 hits in his 3 at-bats and drove in 2 runs that helped his side claim a 9-8 win.

RELATED
Former MLB MVP Offers Brutally Honest Assessment of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s Swing

Sal Stewart labels being hit by pitch as “scary moment”

After Sal Stewart crushed a baseball in the 1st inning, he got smacked by one in the 3rd. The infielder was fortunate to avoid any injury after a fastball from Davis Martin hit him in the head. He later called this a “scary moment.”

Sal Stewart
Sal Stewart (Image via X/@Reds)

When the first pitch went high over his head, Stewart did show a thumbs-up gesture. However, when the second pitch hit him, he had some tough words for Martin.

During the post-game conference, Stewart was asked about his thoughts regarding the incident. When a reporter asked how it unfolded before his eyes, the 22-year-old claimed it went black for a few seconds.

I can’t really tell you. You kind of black out a bit when they go up at your head. It happens. I know he apologized after the first one, and things happen. Maybe it slipped. But then the very next pitch came right back at my face. More than anything, it was just a scary moment.

Sal Stewart told the reporters

Meanwhile, Martin admitted that he was not a “fan” of what transpired in the 3rd inning.

The question now is whether Martin will get suspended for this. The MLB has previously handed bans to pitchers for throwing at the batters and hitting them. Only time will tell what happens next.

Also Read: