HOUSTON (AP) - St. Louis righty Julian Tavarez broke his left hand during a dugout tantrum in Game 4 of the NL championship series, and it was uncertain Monday when the reliever would pitch again.
<!-- esi: /widget/story/videoAndPhotoGallery?contentId=3091334-->The excitable Tavarez tried to trash the bench shortly after giving up a tiebreaking home run to Carlos Beltran in the seventh inning of Houston's 6-5 win Sunday.
Before Game 5, the Cardinals said Tavarez fractured the fourth finger and bones in his left hand.
"He punched the phone, so that's when it happened," manager Tony La Russa said. "I don't know if he'll pitch tonight, but he'll pitch in the series."
Tavarez became the second prominent pitcher to recently hurt himself in a fit of anger. Yankees righty Kevin Brown broke his left hand when he punched a clubhouse wall in early September, and did not pitch much before the playoffs.
The Cards and Astros were tied at 2 going into Monday night's game, and La Russa hoped to have Tavarez back soon. "When I left the clubhouse, they were fashioning some kind of splint," he said. "I think he can pitch."
Fox Sports
<!-- esi: /widget/story/videoAndPhotoGallery?contentId=3091334-->The excitable Tavarez tried to trash the bench shortly after giving up a tiebreaking home run to Carlos Beltran in the seventh inning of Houston's 6-5 win Sunday.
Before Game 5, the Cardinals said Tavarez fractured the fourth finger and bones in his left hand.
"He punched the phone, so that's when it happened," manager Tony La Russa said. "I don't know if he'll pitch tonight, but he'll pitch in the series."
Tavarez became the second prominent pitcher to recently hurt himself in a fit of anger. Yankees righty Kevin Brown broke his left hand when he punched a clubhouse wall in early September, and did not pitch much before the playoffs.
The Cards and Astros were tied at 2 going into Monday night's game, and La Russa hoped to have Tavarez back soon. "When I left the clubhouse, they were fashioning some kind of splint," he said. "I think he can pitch."
Fox Sports
