Just like Boston to almost get into a bench clearning brawl during Spring Training
Tigers' Ordonez taken to hospital after being hit in head
LAKELAND, Fla. -- Magglio Ordonez was hit in the side of the head by a breaking ball from Josh Beckett on Saturday, sending the Detroit slugger to the hospital and leading to a near scuffle between the Tigers and Boston Red Sox.
Beckett plunked Gary Sheffield with a first-inning pitch and hit Ordonez in the third, forcing him from the game. He was treated at a hospital.
Detroit reliever Todd Jones then threw behind Boston's J.D. Drew in the fifth, and the benches and bullpens emptied. Players converged near home plate, but no punches were thrown.
Jones and Tigers manager Jim Leyland were ejected. In the clubhouse after Detroit's 7-6 loss, Ordonez wore a bandage that covered much of his head.
"He was groggy, but that was to be expected," Leyland said. "Josh throws a hard breaking ball. I'm sure he won't play tomorrow. I'm sure he'll have a headache."
Ordonez declined to comment.
Red Sox reliever Travis Hughes also hit Chris Shelton with a pitch in the eighth.
Eric Hinske's grand slam off Justin Verlander keyed Boston's five-run first inning.
Verlander, who struggled to keep the ball down, was touched for six runs and five hits in two innings. In his only previous spring training start, he gave up three earned runs in two innings against the New York Yankees.
"I kept missing up," Verlander said. "I tried to make the adjustment to get it down but didn't."
Verlander allowed two hits and two walks against his first five batters. Hinske then cleared the bases with a one-out shot to left-center. He finished 2-for-4 and was one of five Boston players with multiple hits.
Beckett gave up four hits and five runs -- two earned -- in 3 2-3 innings.
