PITTSBURGH (AP) — Plate umpire John Hirschbeck left the Brewers-Pirates game Thursday night with concussion-like symptoms after being struck by an errant warmup pitch.
Brewers catcher Gregg Zaun was slow to react to a pitch from Chris Narveson that sailed high, and it struck Hirschbeck in the mask before the Pirates batted in the first inning.
Hirschbeck huddled with Pirates trainers but stayed in the game. After the Pirates scored twice in the first, trainers checked Hirschbeck again between innings and he left the game.
First base umpire James Hoye took over behind the plate and Laz Diaz and Wally Bell called the bases by themselves.
Hirschbeck has been a major league umpire since 1984 and served nine years as the president of the World Umpires Association.
