Scary Mound Moment in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO -- A dark day for baseball nearly got worse, as Giants right-hander Joe Martinez took a line drive to the head and had to be helped off the field on Thursday afternoon.


Martinez was bleeding profusely from the right side of his forehead and his face was swollen, but he was conscious as he was taken to a local hospital for further tests.

Afterward, the Giants clubhouse was virtually silent, despite a 7-1 victory over the Brewers.

"I'm still shaking, to tell you the truth," catcher Bengie Molina said. "Before we are baseball players, we are human beings with families. We've got brothers, sisters, moms, dads. You don't ever want to see that on a baseball field."

Martinez, 26, was on a big league roster for the first time. He made his major league debut and picked up a victory on Tuesday. On Thursday, he was mopping up in the ninth inning of a game the Giants led by six runs. With just one out to go in the game, the Brewers' Mike Cameron smoked a line drive directly at Martinez's head. The ball ricocheted all the way to the screen near the Brewers dugout on the first-base side.

"That ball smoked him," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He had no chance."

Cameron reluctantly jogged all the way to second on the play, looking away the entire time. As he stood on second, he crouched and turned his back to Martinez.

"I hope the young man is all right and gets a chance to get back on the field," Cameron said. "It's a real helpless feeling. I know things like that can be dangerous. There are all kinds of things that go through your mind."

Players from both sides watched quietly, some apparently praying. Trainers attended to Martinez for about 10 minutes as he sat on the grass in front of the mound. He eventually walked off the field under his own power, with some assistance.

"That's a scary moment that makes you sick to your stomach," Bochy said. "With one out left in the game, it makes you even sicker about what happened."

Bochy said Martinez was not speaking, but he was awake and aware of his surroundings and what had happened.

"It's a bad day," Bochy said. "Hopefully he'll be fine."

Giants outfielder Fred Lewis was particularly moved by the sight, because Lewis had hit a line drive that seriously injured current A's closer Brad Ziegler when they were in the California League in 2004. Ziegler nearly died.

"That's one of the worst things you can see," Lewis said. "It's one of those experiences you don't want to happen to anybody."