Tuesday’s pivotal Tigers-Guardians series opener came with an incredibly scary moment for Cleveland designated hitter David Fry.
Batting in the sixth inning of Cleveland’s 5-2 win against Detroit ace Tarik Skubal, Fry attempted to put down a sacrifice bunt on a 99 mph fastball but instead saw the ball graze his bat and strike him in the face.
He immediately fell in the batter’s box as the Cleveland training staff and manager Stephen Vogt ran out to attend to him, as his face was bloodied.
Skubal was visibly shaken after what had happened, dropping his glove and hat while covering his face with both hands as he walked off the pitcher’s mound.
As a hush fell over the Progressive Field crowd, Fry — who was down on his back — eventually got up onto his feet before getting into the back of a cart as he exited the field. He was replaced by George Valera.
In that same inning, Cleveland rallied for three runs to take the lead on Detroit, the team the Guardians have chased down to make the AL Central a drastically close race.
With the win, Cleveland moved into a first-place tie after Detroit held a 15½-game lead on July 8 over the Guardians.