For a moment, neither the game nor their excellent start mattered to the Chicago Cubs. Not when Sammy Sosa was clutching at his broken helmet, a look of fear and anger crossing his face.
Sosa got the biggest scare of his career yesterday when he was hit on the batting helmet by a Salomon Torres fastball, but apparently was not seriously hurt as the visiting Cubs lost, 8-2, to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The pitch struck Sosa with such force it left a hole in his helmet, but neurological tests were negative. Sosa did not even have a headache after the game, only a few cuts caused by his damaged helmet.
"The helmet saved me," said Sosa, who hit his 504th career homer earlier in the game. "Yeah, I've never gotten hit like that before."
Torres (2-0), who shares the same Dominican Republic home town as Sosa, also was shaken but still pitched five shutout innings in relief of injured Pittsburgh starter Josh Fogg, who lasted an inning because of a strained abdominal muscle.
Sosa tied Eddie Murray for 17th place on the career homer list with his two-run shot in the first.
that could have been his head
