Getty James McCann on the ground at home plate after being hit by a fastball from Yariel Rodriguez of the Toronto Blue Jays.
During the first game of a double-header against the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles‘ backup catcher James McCann took a 95 mph fastball to the face. To the surprise of most, he stayed in the game.
McCann likened the experience to getting punched in the face, when talking with reporters postgame on July 29.
“I think, at first, it’s more scary than anything,” McCann said, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. “It’s like taking a pretty good punch, a pretty good right hook, I guess. Now, it’s just the swelling that’s kind of set in and hard to see a little bit.”
The 11-year-veteran remained in the game once he got the bleeding to stop.
And in the bottom of the fifth inning he sent a single to right field. Anthony Santander followed him up with a 2-run shot to give the Orioles a 10-3 lead.
On batting with a swollen eye, McCann credited divine intervention.
“It was kind of one of those things where I felt like if I could get the blood to stop flowing, then I could stay in the game, and that’s what we were able to do, for the most part,” McCann continued. “…God was helping me for sure. It’s really tough to see and thankful I was able to come through with a knock and be able to stay in there.”
Baltimore won the first game 11-5 before entering a delay for game two. It will take much stranger things happening in the second half of the doubleheader to remove McCann’s stamp on the series in the history books.
Brandon Hyde: McCann ‘Doesn’t Have Head Or Eye Trauma’
In an interview after the win, skipper Brandon Hyde told reporters that McCann avoided a serious injury.
“That was a scary scene and just shows you how tough that guy is,” Hyde told reporters on July 29. “To get hit like that, to have the blood not stop, coming out of his nose and his mouth, it seemed like he was fine. Just obviously dazed and the blood wasn’t stopping. Just a really, really scary scene. He is incredibly, incredibly tough. He catches eight more innings after that. I’ll give you a little update. He doesn’t have head or eye trauma or injury.”
But went on to say there’s fear it’s a broken nose.
That’s certainly not a concussion or potentially worse injury to the head. But a broken bone isn’t insignificant either.
Zach Eflin Shines In Orioles Debut
Baltimore struck a trade for Tampa Bay Rays starter Zach Eflin ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. He made his Orioles’ debut in the first game of the doubleheader.
He pitched six innings against the Blue Jays, allowing a season-high 10 hits but also tying his season-high of 7 strikeouts.
Toronto scored 3 runs with Eflin on the mound. 71 of his 98 pitches were called strikes. He also became a big fan of McCann’s, as he told reporters after the game.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that on a baseball field,” Eflin said, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. “I just became his probably No. 1 fan. To be able to go through that and stay in the game and show the grit and determination and competitiveness that he has, it’s inspiring. That was awesome.”
His new manager, Brandon Hyde, applauded his effort after the win.
“For him to pound the strike zone the way he did, give up the homer but a lot of singles,” Hyde told reporters postgame. “He’s always going to be a ground ball away from a double play, and we’ve seen that a lot with him. Just a total pro effort knowing that we have a doubleheader, knowing that if he could give us six innings, that would be huge, and he went out and did that.”
Barring any other deals before the deadline, Eflin is set to play as the Orioles’ third starter behind Corbin Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez. That’s a postseason worthy one, two, three punch.