Oneil Cruz fractures ankle on awkward slide, sparking a Pirates-White Sox near-brawl
Banks clear in Pirates-White Sox showdown after Pittsburgh sensation Oneil Cruz breaks ankle in awkward slide and collision with Chicago catcher Seby Zavala
The Pirates and White Sox benches have been cleared for a near brawl on Sunday in Pittsburgh after Bucco’s shortstop Oneil Cruz broke his left ankle in a collision with Chicago catcher Seby Zavala.
The 6-foot-7 Cruz, who has become a cult figure for his raw talent and athleticism, was on third base in the sixth inning at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park. When Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a helicopter down the third baseline, Cruz came home, but so did Yoan Moncada’s throw.
Perhaps not expecting the throw to come so quickly, Cruz slipped late before colliding with Zavala as his left ankle rolled awkwardly.
Things got heated for a moment when Cruz’s ankle was examined by White Sox trainers. Zavala objected to Cruz’s late slide, which led to an exchange between Zavala and Pittsburgh designated hitter Carlos Santana. The benches and bullpens were emptied, but no punches were thrown.
“Things happen and everyone competes,” Zavala said afterwards. “Temperatures sometimes run 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 slide in Sunday’s victory against the visiting White Sox
Pirates’ Oneil Cruz (15) is injured when tagged out trying to score by Seby Zavala
Santana disagreed with Zavala’s reaction to Cruz, which came as the Pirates shortstop was still writhing in pain at home plate.
“Everything is moving fast,” Santana said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “What I don’t like is that [Zavala] yelled at [Cruz] when he was injured. I had to support my teammate.’
“He always barks,” Pirates pitcher Johan Oviedo agreed. “You see a man lying there, he can’t move, he’s in pain and everything [Zavala] concerns about [complaining] about what happened? It made everyone angry.
Santana came in the middle. He defended Cruz. [Zavala] went on. It was like, ‘Bro, just relax. There’s a man lying on the ground.”Hopefully he’ll learn someday.’
Unfortunately for the Pirates, who won the game 1-0, Cruz broke his ankle on the game and is now out for four months amid Pittsburgh’s solid 6-3 start.
“We have to take the time to try and be in (Cruz’s) shoes and you know, I just hope he heals and gets himself back,” said Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen. “But it’s certainly a heavy blow to the team.”
Zavala disagreed with Cruz’s slide and let the Pirates star hear about it as he writhe in pain
Chicago White Sox catcher Seby Zavala (right) took the slide from Pirates star Oneil Cruz
Rodolfo Castro moved from second base to shortstop after Cruz’s departure. Still, Castro knows he doesn’t have all of Cruz’s key tools.
“I’ll be ready for any position they need me to play and I’m going to give 100 per cent,” said Castro. “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 scheduled to miss action for the next four months.
“Obviously losing Oneil is a blow because he’s a big part of what we do on both sides of the ball,” said Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton. The flip side of that, because of the depth we’ve created over the last few [of] years we are probably in a better place to deal with it than before.”
White Sox manager Pedro Grifol, left, and Pirates manager Derek Shelton, right, are divorced