PITTSBURGH (AP) St. Louis Cardinals rookie Stephen Piscotty was carted off the field Monday night following a violent collision with teammate Peter Bourjos.
In a frightening scene at PNC Park, Piscotty lay motionless on the grass in left-center field for several minutes. He was strapped to a backboard and waved his left hand as he was driven away, eliciting a big cheer from the Pittsburgh crowd.
The team said Piscotty has a bruise on his head and was taken to a hospital for observation
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Josh Harrison of the Pirates hit a drive to the gap in left-center. Piscotty, playing left field, stumbled as he chased the ball. Bourjos, playing center, went to the ground as he made a lunging catch, and his left knee struck Piscotty square in the face.
Almost immediately, Bourjos began waving to signal that Piscotty needed medical attention. Cardinals players and manager Mike Matheny gathered in the outfield, some kneeling in obvious concern as workers tended to Piscotty and a hush fell over the crowd.
St. Louis third baseman Matt Carpenter watched with an anguished look on his face.
It was the opener of a pivotal three-game series between the top two teams in the NL Central. St. Louis began the night with a three-game lead over Pittsburgh, and both teams have already clinched playoff berths.
The 24-year-old Piscotty has provided a major boost to the banged-up Cardinals since making his major league debut July 21. He began the night batting .313 with seven homers, 15 doubles and 39 RBIs in 61 games.
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