Joey Loperfido injured: Toronto hit in Denver
The evening had everything to be an ordinary regular season game, until the silence fell on Coors Field. Sixth inning, 98 mph out of the hand of Angel Chivilli... and the deaf noise of a ball that hits Joey Loperfido's right knee. No time to breathe: the left winger of the Blue Jays folds, grimace, the healer rushes. John Schneider, the manager, joins him. In seconds, Toronto's hottest rookie leaves the field, backed up, bouncing, staring.
A hot start to career, stopped net
This was only his 24th game since his debut on July 6, but Loperfido was already at .389 average, three homers on the counter, and this impression of hitting all the balls that are approaching. In front of the Rockies, he had already added a two-step stick. Then came this highly dangerous launch, and the moment changed everything.
Arcia, other night victim
As if Denver wanted to remind that baseball remains ruthless, Orlando Arcia also saw his evening end prematurely. After a simple straight field, the third base of the Rockies shook his right hand by joining the first cushion. Visible pain, immediate anxiety. Replaced in the wake, Arcia left the game with a 1 in 2 score on the stick.
When season plays elbows
These shutdowns are a brutal reminder: in this league where the calendar swallows the days (186 combined games for the Braves and Rockies this season), the bodies cash without respite. One night, everything's fine. The next day, an ill-placed ball or an unfortunate swing can reverse the plans.
Now what?
Toronto crossed her fingers so Loperfido was not absent too long. His rod production became a centrepiece in the Jays' attack. Same concern about Rockies, where Arcia remains an essential wheel. The next few hours, between medical examinations and newsletters, will tell if these two hard blows are just a parenthesis... or a real turning point in the season.
Meanwhile, Coors Field will remember this evening: a game where the sound of a bat was not enough to cover up the grimaces and concerns.
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