Puig hit in head, stays in game, then ejected

LOS ANGELES -- Yasiel Puig pulled up with a leg cramp in the second inning and was hit on the nose by a 92 mph fastball from D-backs starter Ian Kennedy in the sixth, but the only thing that took the Dodgers outfielder out of Tuesday's game was his ejection following a benches-clearing incident in the seventh.

It started in the bottom of the sixth, when Kennedy's pitch grazed Puig's nose. The Cuban fell to the ground and remained there for a few minutes as Dodgers head athletic trainer Sue Falsone and assistant athletic trainer Greg Harrel checked on him. Puig did not suffer a broken nose or a concussion.

"It was scary," catcher Tim Federowicz said after the Dodgers rallied to win, 5-3. "That was unbelievable. The more you think about it, we knew at some point someone was going to try to knock him down, but not hit him in the face. They say it wasn't intentional, but when you hit a guy in the face we take it personally."

Puig, who left Dodger Stadium before speaking to reporters, took his base and Andre Ethier followed with a two-run homer to right to tie the game at 2.

The D-backs said Kennedy wasn't trying to hit Puig.

"Who's going to think we had intentions there?" Arizona catcher Miguel Montero said. "He was trying to go in on him and unfortunately we hit him. If we were trying to hit him, I wouldn't be going down there to help him and call the trainers. Seriously? We know it's tough. He's playing pretty good. We weren't trying to hit anybody."

In the top of the seventh, Dodgers starter Zack Greinke hit Montero in the back leading off, prompting both dugouts and bullpens to empty before the game resumed.

Kennedy returned the favor in the Dodgers' half of the inning, hitting Greinke in the helmet with a pitch. Both benches and bullpens emptied onto the field a second time and a skirmish unfolded near the Arizona dugout, with Puig among those at the epicenter.

Puig was ejected, along with Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire, Los Angeles reliever Ronald Belisario, Kennedy, Arizona manager Kirk Gibson and D-backs assistant hitting coach Turner Ward.

In the second inning, Puig felt a cramp in his leg by the time he reached the bag and strolled gingerly back to the dugout. He retreated into the Dodgers' clubhouse, accompanied by Falsone.

Puig emerged from the clubhouse and jogged out to right field for the top of the third. He tracked a fly ball down the right-field line and made the catch in foul territory. Puig went back to the clubhouse after the inning, though he was able to stay in the game.

Puig went 0-for-2 to drop his average to .471 through nine games, and his ejection is likely to result in a suspension.