NewsRamirez hit in head by pitch, but fine
White Sox shortstop exits after accident in ninth inning
By Matt O'Donnell / MLB.com
06/30/09 12:15 AM ET
CLEVELAND -- White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez wasn't having the best day at the plate Monday. It didn't get any better when newly acquired Indians reliever Chris Perez hit him in the head with a pitch. Ramirez was 0-for-3 when he came to the plate to lead off the top of the ninth inning with his team leading the Tribe, 2-0, at Progressive Field. The third pitch from Perez, a slider, hit Ramirez in the head. Ramirez laid on the ground for a few moments and then was helped off the field by trainers.Ramirez said after the game that he is fine and expects to be in the lineup Tuesday against the Indians.
Jayson Nix replaced Ramirez on Monday and later scored in a four-run inning by the White Sox, who eventually beat the Indians, 6-3."Obviously, that's not where you want to miss," said Perez, who had been activated earlier in the day. "I don't want to hurt anybody out there. It was just a slider that got away."
But Perez would also hit Jermaine Dye -- the very next batter. Dye was hit in the hand with a fastball and got down on a knee before taking first base. He would stay in the game and later scored."Jermaine was hit in the knuckles," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He was fine."
The pitches were the first thrown by Perez since being acquired by the Indians from the Cardinals in a trade for Mark DeRosa.
White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko was hit in the head by Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster on Saturday. Combined with two hit batters on Sunday, that makes five Chicago hitters who have been hit by pitches in the past three games.
Matt O'Donnell is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
