Konerko Hit In Face; Warnings Issued At Wrigley
By Adam Hoge-
WRIGLEY FIELD (CBS) That's probably not how the White Sox wanted their lineup problem solved.
Warnings were issued to both benches Friday at Wrigley Field after Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija hit Paul Konerko in the face with a pitch and Philip Humber responded by throwing behind Cubs first baseman Bryan LaHair.
Konerko, who hit a two-run home run in the first inning, left the game against the Cubs after getting plunked in the face. The White Sox said he suffered a small laceration above the left eye and swelling, but further evaluation would be needed.
Dayan Viciedo, who was relegated to pinch hitting duties because of the loss of the designated hitter, took Konerko's spot in the order, batting fourth and playing left field. Adam Dunn moved from left to first.
Konerko immediately went down after taking the pitch off the left side of his face. It didn't appear to hit his helmet at all. The first baseman managed to get back on his feet and for moment looked like he would try to stay in the game, but eventually was led to the dugout by trainer Herm Schneider.
Earlier in the game, Samardzija nearly hit Alexei Ramirez in the face as he squared around to bunt. After Konerko was hit, Robin Ventura had a chat with home plate umpire Tim Timmons and catcher A.J. Pierzynski discussed the pitch with Samardzija when the Cubs pitcher led off the bottom of the third inning.
Humber didn't retaliate against Samardzija, but later threw a pitch behind Cubs first baseman Bryan LaHair and Timmons issued warnings to both benches.
Both Samardzija and Cubs manager Dale Sveum insisted after the game that the pitch, which was a split-fingered fastball, was an accident. Sveum also expressed frustration that Humber's retaliation pitch was thrown as high as it was.
Humber said he did not throw at LaHair on purpose.
Konerko was also hit in the face by a pitch in 2010. Amazingly, he managed to stay in the game that time.
For more White Sox coverage, follow Adam on Twitter (@AdamHogeCBS).
