Cronenworth takes 97 mph off the chin ... and stays in!

ANAHEIM -- Jake Cronenworth is the Padres’ all-time hit-by-pitch leader, but he probably hasn’t taken many that were more painful than this one.

In the fifth inning of the Padres’ 4-1 victory over the Angels on Saturday night, Cronenworth was hit by a high-and-tight fastball from Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. The pitch grazed Cronenworth’s shoulder before hitting him in the chin.

“That’s the first time I’ve been hit in the face like that since, probably, playing hockey,” said Cronenworth, who grew up playing hockey in Michigan. “First reaction was just: Try to make sure my jaw’s OK.”

It was. Remarkably, Cronenworth would stay in the game after he was evaluated for several minutes by two Padres trainers. Not only that -- Cronenworth reached base four times on the night. He worked crucial walks during a pair of rallies in both the eighth and ninth innings.

“He’s a hockey player, and he didn’t lose any teeth,” said manager Craig Stammen. “So he had to stay in the game. That was the rule. He took one off the chin, literally, and toughed it out, and then stayed in the game, made some plays for us.”