Davis Martin started Thursday’s afternoon game on three days’ rest for the Chicago White Sox only because his previous start lasted just one inning thanks to a rain delay.
Thursday’s game, against the Cincinnati Reds, was hastily moved an hour early because of rain in the forecast. But that’s not why Martin endured yet another shortened start.
In the third inning, Martin fired a 1-1 fastball that struck the bill of Sal Stewart’s batting helmet, the second batter Martin had hit. That, after a conference between the umpires, prompted Martin’s ejection.
It thrust the White Sox into pitching chaos once again.
They had lost Martin four days earlier after only an inning. And, two days before that, Chicago had to remove its starter in the first inning when manager Will Venable accidentally made a second mound visit.
After Martin’s ejection Thursday, Venable turned to his presumed Friday starter, Erick Fedde. He allowed four runs in three innings. What once was a White Sox lead evaporated into a sizable hole.
After Stewart took the ball off his helmet, he motioned at Martin with his bat, then signaled “two” with his fingers. In the first inning, after Stewart clubbed his 26th home run, Cincinnati catcher Tyler Stephenson had taken a wayward curveball off his upper back.
As Stewart approached the mound, the benches cleared, albeit in slow motion. There was no further incident. Venable protested umpire Alan Porter’s ejection, believing it was a quick hook. No warnings had been issued when Martin hit Stewart.
All it did was create another August pitching headache for the postseason-hopeful White Sox.
