Rojas was hit so hard that part of his tooth – visible in TV footage – flew out of his mouth into the dirt and he left the field clutching his mouth.
“He actually knocked out a tooth, but he didn’t chip half,” manager Don Mattingly said after the game, according to MLB.com. “They found it and he’s at the dentist now, so we’ll see where that goes.”
Rojas’ fractured tooth wasn’t the only injury the Marlins suffered, as center fielder Billy Hamilton suffered a black eye and second baseman Jon Berti left with a minor groin strain.
Despite the many injuries, the Marlins finally defeated the Pirates after a double walk-off triple by Brian Anderson in the 11th inning to share a four-game streak with Pittsburgh and keep their hopes alive in the National League wild card race to obtain.
Anderson’s strike found a gap in right midfield, hitting Jesús Aguilar and Avisaíl García – who sprinted from first base to goal – and provoked frenzied celebrations from the crowd.
At first, the umpire ruled that Anderson had been hit by a Wil Crowe pitch, but a review reversed the decision, finding the ball had struck Anderson’s bat and giving him a reprieve.
“They don’t turn it off at any point,” Anderson said, according to ESPN.
“When I got hit off the field, I was ready to go to base. I was just trying to focus on what’s in front of me. I was just grateful that I had the opportunity to get there and try to hit the ball with the barrel. “
It was the Marlins’ second straight extra-innings walk-off win against the Pirates, and they have an opportunity to build on that momentum with a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies beginning Friday.
“Hold on and we’ll talk about that,” manager Mattingly said, according to MLB.com.
“Just keep fighting until [All-Star] interruption.”