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BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston Red Sox needed three tries to play
their home opener, and when it was done they wished they hadn't. |
Red Sox coach Cubbage
expected to recover | | BOSTON -- Boston Red Sox third base coach Mike Cubbage had a
diabetic seizure and collapsed on the field during the game Saturday night, but was expected to make
a full recovery.''He's doing well,'' Red Sox physician Bill Morgan said after
the game, adding that Cubbage would be kept overnight at the
hospital for observation. ''He's wide awake, and if everything
comes out normal in the morning, he'll be discharged.'' Cubbage should have been leaving the field as the Red Sox took
their positions in the top of the sixth. Baltimore second baseman
Jerry Hairston noticed a problem as he was leaving the field, and
he and Orioles third base coach Tom Trebelhorn rushed to help
Cubbage. ''I was holding him and kind of felt him shaking. I wanted to
hold him until our trainer got there,'' Hairston said. ''When you
see him go down, it kind of shakes you a little bit.'' Along with an on-field police officer, they waved for help from
the Red Sox dugout. The ballpark fell silent as medical personnel
attended to Cubbage before he was wheeled off on a stretcher. The Red Sox confirmed Cubbage had a diabetic seizure due to too
much insulin, and not enough sugar, in his blood. He was given
intravenous glucose and he responded immediately, Morgan said. The game was also delayed nine minutes in the fourth inning
after plate umpire Jerry Layne was hit by a pitch. He did not
return. The Red Sox said Layne had pain in his cervical spine and was
taken to a hospital for X-rays. No further information was
available. -- The Associated Press |
Pedro Martinez had the worst outing of his career as the
Baltimore Orioles beat Boston 13-6 Saturday in a game delayed twice
by frightening scenes. Red Sox third base coach Mike Cubbage collapsed on the field in
a diabetic seizure and plate umpire Jerry Layne was injured when he
was hit in the facemask by a pitch from Martinez, casting a pall
over the twice-delayed festivities. ''All the things that happened tonight -- just weird,'' Martinez
said. ''Only at Fenway do you see that.'' Cubbage responded to treatment and was hospitalized overnight as
a precaution. Layne left the game with pain in his spine. He was
taken for X-rays and replaced the rest of the way. Martinez (0-1) gave up a career-high 10 runs on nine hits and
four walks in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out five but was charged
with seven runs in the fifth -- the most runs the three-time Cy
Young winner has allowed in one inning in his career. ''I can guarantee you one thing: Pedro Martinez will be back
again in five days,'' Boston manager Grady Little said. ''It is not
something you will see very often.'' The seven-run defeat matched the biggest home-opening setback in Red
Sox franchise history. Martinez's ERA ballooned from 0.60 to 5.12. ''It was obvious he wasn't on his game,'' Orioles manager Mike
Hargrove said. ''He's beat on us for a long time. We could beat on
him for the next 10 years and he'd still be ahead.'' Jason Johnson (1-0) gave up three runs on six hits in 6 1/3
innings, striking out five and walking one. B.J. Surhoff and Deivi
Cruz drove in two runs apiece in the seven-run fifth inning to
chase Martinez and turn a 3-2 Orioles lead into a blowout. The home opener was originally scheduled for Friday but delayed
to Saturday afternoon because of rain and then postponed to Aug. 8.
With flashbulbs popping, Jerry Hairston lined Martinez's first
pitch past third baseman Shea Hillenbrand for a single. It was that kind of night for the Red Sox. ''I was ready to go yesterday, and I really felt good. I was
pumped,'' Martinez said. ''But things happen. No excuses. The other
kid went out and pitched a good game. Why shouldn't I?'' Jay Gibbons hit a two-out, two-run double and Tony Batista
followed with a run-scoring single to give Baltimore a 3-0 lead in the
first. Johnny Damon had a two-run homer to cut the lead to 3-2,
pulling it to right field while construction workers sitting in the
new section of seats they built above the Green Monster waited in
vain for a homer to land there. Geronimo Gil singled to lead off the fifth, Hairston sacrificed
him to second and Gary Matthews Jr. followed with a run-scoring double.
David Segui singled to make it 5-2, Jeff Conine walked and Gibbons
singled to load the bases. Batista walked to force in a run, and Surhoff followed with his
two-run single to right. Steve Woodard relieved Martinez and gave
up Cruz's double that made it 10-2 before getting Gil on a
groundout and Hairston on a flyout. Martinez heard a few boos as he left the field and paused to
take note of one fan who reminded him of the $17.5 million option
the team picked up last week -- seven months early -- to keep the ace
happy. ''I just wanted to keep him in my mind, as a person,'' Martinez
said with a glare. ''But I'm used to Boston, and I know how the
people are.'' Todd Walker hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Boston. Game notes
The previous worst outing of Martinez's career was July 18,
1999, when he gave up nine runs to the Florida Marlins five days
after being named most valuable player of the All-Star game. He went on the disabled
list after that start. ... Martinez gave up seven earned runs in a
12-11 defeat against Toronto in the home opener last year. ... Boston had
won nine of 11 home openers. ... Cruz was 3-for-28 with a pair of
strikeouts against Martinez before his two-run double in the fifth.
... Kevin Millar was 3-for-4 for Boston. ... Manny Ramirez is
0-for-8 after hitting safely in his previous 22 games dating to
last season. ... Matthews also had a two-run single in the ninth to
make it 13-4. ... Boston right-handed pitcher Tim Wakefield will pitch out of the
bullpen for a while due to the rainouts.
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