JUPITER, Fla. (AP) -- Florida's Mike Lowell was hit by a pitch
twice Tuesday, clearing benches, leading to manager Jack McKeon's
ejection and sparking memories of last year when the All-Star third
baseman missed four weeks with a broken hand.
Montreal right-hander Josh Karp, making his first start this
spring, hit Lowell in the thigh in the first inning and then in the
hand in the third. The second one caused much commotion in a game
that ended in a 3-3 tie after 10 innings.
Karp's fastball was headed for Lowell's helmet, but he lifted
his left hand to protect himself. It was the same hand Lowell broke
last August when he was hit by a fastball from Montreal reliever
Hector Almonte.
Lowell walked toward the mound and said plenty to Karp. Both
benches cleared without altercation, and first base umpire Matt
Hollowell eventually tossed McKeon after a heated argument. Lowell
was not injured.
"It was just a bad coincidence," Lowell said. "I don't think
he was trying to hit me, but it was hard and it's right at my head.
It was a little scary, and I didn't want a repeat of last year.
Sorry I got a little emotional."
McKeon watched the rest of the game from a second-floor balcony
of the clubhouse that overlooks left field. He propped his feet up,
unbuttoned his shirt and smoked three cigars.
"I should have got some lotion before I went up there," McKeon
said, his face red from a slight burn.
McKeon was equally red while screaming at Hollowell after
Lowell's second knockdown, which came two batters after Karp threw
two pitches at Juan Pierre's feet.
"I just told him, 'You've got to take charge of this game,"
McKeon said. "I said a few more things than that. The umpire says
bad blood. We don't have any bad blood.
"To me, you kick them out of the game right now and set a
precedent. Don't tell me there's bad blood. There hasn't been any
bad blood since I've been here. Where's it coming from? It's
ridiculous. Something's got to be done," he said.
Marlins president David Samson went a step further. After the
game, he said his staff prepared tapes to send to Major League
Baseball highlighting several altercations between the Expos and
Marlins. He estimated that Montreal pitchers have hit 10 Florida
players since last spring after Brad Penny was suspended five games
to start the season for hitting Vladimir Guerrero with a pitch.
"We're tired of having our guys get hit by the same team time
after time," Samson said. "You're talking about very highly paid
professionals. Part of the game is pitching inside, but it just
seems to us that that team has been hitting our players for the
better part of a year and a half."
Game notes
Florida's Mike Mordecai hit a one-out homer in the bottom
of the 10th to tie it. ... The Marlins signed RHP Tanyon Sturtze,
who pitched a perfect inning of relief. ... Florida OF Brian Banks
will have surgery on his right knee Friday to remove bone fragments
and will be out at least two weeks. ... Karp allowed three hits and
two runs in four innings.