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BostonHerald.com - Boston Red Sox: A’s Macha nose best<font color=#ffffff>, #0-3067</font>
A’s Macha nose best, #0-3067
By Rich Thompson
Sunday, July 16, 2006 - Updated: 11:37 AM EST
“If Ortiz gets on, have somebody else come in and pitch to Manny.”
Those words were uttered by Oakland A’s manager Ken Macha before departing Fenway Park for the Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary in the bottom of the sixth inning of Friday night’s 15-3 thrashing of the Red Sox.
Macha had experienced periodic nose bleeds over a two-week period prior to the All-Star break, but nothing like the nasal Niagara Falls that began flowing between the fifth and sixth innings.
It was the first time Macha voluntarily took himself out of a game.
“I had a blood vessel break in my nostril and I knew it was serious when it wouldn’t stop,” Macha said prior to the Sox’ 7-0 win last night.
“It happened before two weeks ago in the morning when we were in San Francisco playing the Giants. I was kind of hoping it would heal itself and it didn’t. I’ve taken the appropriate action now.”
A’s pitching coach Curt Young was already apprised of the situation. Oakland spotted starter Barry Zito a 6-0 lead through five, but the Red Sox were threatening to make a big dent in the A’s advantage in the sixth. The Sox scored two runs and had men on first and second when David Ortiz was due up against reliever Kirk Saarloos.
Ortiz grounded out to end the inning, sparing Young a trip to the mound.
“If Manny (Ramirez) got up, (Chad) Gaudin was in the game and that was when he (Macha) left,” said Young. “Saarloos got him out so Saarloos stayed in the game.
“But man, by that point it (the nose bleed) was pouring. It looked like he was losing a lot of blood and it was just uncomfortable for him.”
Macha’s history of nose bleeds didn’t cause many second looks in the A’s dugout. But the initial nonchalance changed to concern when a member of the Red Sox medical staff escorted Macha down the runway.
“We were aware of it but it wasn’t the first time. We’ve seen that a couple of times,” said A’s slugger Frank Thomas. “But we had never seen it that bad before, so it was kind of scary.”
Macha was en route to the hospital during the seventh inning and didn’t learn about Oakland’s eight-run eighth inning until after the fact. By that time, Macha had more on his mind than the lopsided victory.
“On the way over I was listening with two outs in the seventh,” said Macha. “I didn’t hear any of the run scoring and what they were doing to me was not very pleasant. When they looked into my nose they said ‘Holy moly.’ That’s a quote.
“But I can hardly breathe out of my right nostril because of the bone.”
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