Benches clear in Pirates-White Sox showdown after Pittsburgh sensation Oneil Cruz broke his ankle in an awkward slide and collided with Chicago’s catcher Seby Zavala
The benches of the Pirates and White Sox were cleared for a near brawl in Pittsburgh on Sunday after Bucco’s star shortstop Oneil Cruz broke his left ankle when he collided with Chicago catcher Seby Zavala.
The 6-foot-7 Cruz, who has become an icon for his raw talent and athleticism, was third in the sixth inning at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park. When Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a chopper on the third baseline, Cruz came home, but so did Yoan Moncada’s throw.
Perhaps not expecting the throw to arrive so quickly, Cruz slipped late before colliding with Zavala when his left ankle rolled awkwardly.
Things briefly got heated when Cruz’s ankle was examined by White Sox coaches. Zavala took offense at Cruz’s late slip, resulting in an exchange between Zavala and Pittsburgh’s designated batsman Carlos Santana. The benches and bullpens were cleared but no punches were thrown.
“Things happen and everyone competes,” Zavala said afterwards. “Sometimes tempers get high.”
The Pirates and White Sox benches were cleared for a near-brawl in Pittsburgh on Sunday
Oneil Cruz braces for impact after a late slip in Sunday’s win over the visiting White Sox
Oneil Cruz (15) of the Pirates is injured when he is substituted off by Seby Zavala trying to score
Santana struggled with Zavala’s response to Cruz, which took place when the pirate shortstop was still writhing in pain on home plate.
“Everything moves fast,” Santana said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “What I don’t like is that [Zavala] shouted at [Cruz] when he was injured. I had to support my teammate.’
“He’s always barking,” agreed Pirates pitcher Johan Oviedo. “You see a man on the ground, he can’t move, he’s in pain and stuff [Zavala] worry is [complaining] to what happened? It made everyone angry.
“Santana came in the middle. He defended Cruz. [Zavala] continue. It was like, “Bro, just chill. There’s a man lying on the floor.” “Hopefully one day he’ll learn.”
Unfortunately for the Pirates, who won the game 1-0, Cruz broke his ankle in the game and has now been out for four months amid Pittsburgh’s solid 6-3 start.
“We’ve got to take our time trying to get in (Cruz’s) shoes and you know, just hope he heals and bounces back,” said Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen. “But it sure is a hard blow for the team.”
Zavala berated Cruz’s slip and let the Pirates star know while he writhed in pain
Chicago White Sox catcher Seby Zavala (right) struggled with Pirate star Oneil Cruz’s chute
Rodolfo Castro switched to shortstop from second base after Cruz’s exit. But Castro knows he doesn’t have all of Cruz’s formidable tools.
“I’ll be ready for any position I’m asked to play and I’ll give 100 percent,” Castro said. “It still hurts because I can’t see my teammate next to me for a while but I’m ready for whatever comes.”
“I’m very close to him,” Santana said of Cruz. ‘It hurts.’
Cruz is expected to miss the next four months of action.
“Obviously, losing Oneil is a blow because it’s a big part of what we do on both sides of the ball,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. ‘ The downside to that is because of the depth that we’ve created over the past few years [of] years we’re probably in a better position to deal with that than we were before.’
White Sox manager Pedro Grifol (left) and Pirates manager Derek Shelton (right) are separated