Baseball

Sosa seems all right after scary beaning

PITTSBURGH -- Cubs star Sammy Sosa had only a couple of small cuts Sunday despite what he called his scariest moment, being slammed in the side of the head by a pitch.

Sosa had no time to react as Pirates reliever Salomon Torres' fastball struck him on his left temple during the fourth inning, breaking his helmet and leaving him shaken but apparently okay.

Sosa left after the beaning. In the first inning he hit his 504th homer and tied Eddie Murray for 17th all-time.

Sosa needs seven to tie Mel Ott for 16th and eight to tie Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews for 14th.

"That was one of the worst helmet cracks I've ever seen or heard," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said.

Sosa walked off without assistance and was examined by two Pirates doctors. A CT scan at nearby Allegheny General Hospital was negative.

Other than a couple of small cuts on his left ear and temple caused when the batting helmet broke, Sosa apparently wasn't injured. He left on the Cubs' charter flight and could play Tuesday unless problems develop.

Sosa didn't think Torres was trying to hit him in retaliation for homering off starter Josh Fogg in the first.

Sosa did not go down, initially standing and glaring at Torres, then clutching at his helmet. Sosa looked dazed, but was clear-eyed and talking normally a few hours later.

Martinez, Batista tossed

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals first baseman Tino Martinez and Diamondbacks pitcher Miguel Batista were ejected after their fight started a bench-clearing brawl during the fifth.

Batista hit Martinez in the right shoulder blade to start the fifth and they jawed while Martinez, a Tampa native, slowly went to first.

Martinez was forced at second and was trotting off then suddenly made a right turn to attack Batista.

The right-hander threw the ball at Martinez, missing as Martinez threw a punch. Both benches quickly cleared and Batista, constantly backing up, threw a few punches before manager Bob Brenly forced him into shallow leftfield.

Martinez left as the game ended and Batista declined comment.

Brenly defended his pitcher: "I really don't know what Batista is supposed to do to protect himself against a 240-pound charging bull who is supposed to leave the field immediately after he's retired."

The Cardinals' Jeff Fassero was ejected after hitting Luis Gonzalez in the ribs in the ninth. Manager Tony La Russa also was ejected and bristled when asked about the fight and ejections: "We'll talk about the B.S. later, let's talk about the baseball."

FAN APOLOGIZES: The man who ran onto the field during a Royals-White Sox game last week and was charged with attacking an umpire said he had been drinking all day and never intended to hurt anybody. "I'm deeply sorry," Eric Dybas said. "I wanted to get a rise out of the crowd, plain and simple. I never intended for it to be like I was trying to inflict any danger on anybody." Dybas said he had six 16-ounce beers at Wrigley Field, where he attended a Cubs game in the afternoon, and another six beers at U.S Cellular Field. "As soon as I got to him, I went down on the ground, and the next thing I honestly remember is being in the lock-up section," he said.

FAN FACES CHARGE: A 24-year-old man accused of throwing a cell phone that hit Rangers rightfielder Carl Everett in the back of the head during a game in Oakland faces a charge of assault with a deadly weapon. Juan-Carlos Covarrubias-Serrano of Palo Alto, Calif., was intoxicated, said David Rinetti, Athletics vice president of stadium operations.

ANGELS: Right-hander Kevin Appier probably will miss his next start and could go on the disabled list pending the outcome of a magnetic resonance imaging test scheduled for Tuesday on his sore pitching elbow. Centerfielder Darin Erstad, who has an inflamed tendon in the back of his right knee, has an MRI scheduled today to rule out a cartilage tear.

BRAVES: Leftfielder Chipper Jones didn't play. He sprained his left shoulder attempting a diving catch Saturday and hopes to return after today's off-day.

BREWERS: Third-base coach Rich Donnelly left in the fourth after feeling faint in the coaching box.

YANKEES: Christian Parker allowed one run and six hits in five innings for Class A Tampa in his first game since a right shoulder injury two years ago.

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