Baseball players and umpires suffer the ravages of the intense heat

▲ Seattle Mariners pitcher Trent Thornton was helped off the field in the eighth inning . AP Photo

Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 22, 2025, p. a27

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz fell ill on Saturday, as did Seattle Mariners reliever Trent Thornton. Both resented playing in the extreme heat that plagues much of the United States.

De la Cruz vomited on the field with two outs in the fourth inning of Cincinnati's 6-5 extra -innings loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. A medical assistant examined the Dominican, and two grounds crew members cleaned up the area. The 23-year-old remained in the game and hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning.

Thornton pitched two and a third innings for Seattle before leaving in the eighth inning of the Mariners' 10-7 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The 31-year-old right-hander had to be helped off the field.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Thornton had a minor heat-related issue.

The temperature at kickoff for the Reds' game against the Cardinals was 33 degrees Celsius. The thermometer read 34 degrees when the first pitch was thrown in the Mariners' loss to the Cubs.

Milwaukee's 9-0 blanking of Minnesota took place under an excessive heat advisory.

Seattle and Chicago finished their game with three umpires after Chad Whitson fell ill. Dexter Kelley moved from second base to home plate.

A member of the Wrigley Field staff experienced a medical issue related to high temperatures shortly after Saturday's game, according to a Cubs spokesperson. He was treated by medical personnel and left the field on his own two feet.

The Cubs installed cooling and misting stations throughout the stadium to help fans cope with the heat yesterday. They also deployed additional emergency personnel.