Fister hit in head with a line drive, stays in game

Everyone knew Doug Fister was a tough sonofagun.

After all, he took a line shot off the pitching hand in the American League Championship Series, and stayed in the game.

But a line shot off the head is something else, entirely.

That’s what happened to Fister in Thursday’s Game 2 of the World Series, when Gregor Blanco laced a comebacker right back to the mound, getting there before Fister could get his glove up in self-defense.

The ball glanced off the right side of Fister’s head, and caromed into center field for a single.

Tigers head trainer Kevin Rand and manager Jim Leyland both hustled out to the mound to check on him, immediately. 

Audio from the television feed picked up Fister answering Rand’s quick concussion test with “San Francisco. Game 2.” Rand asked how many outs there were. “Two,” Fister answered. “Get the third,” Rand replied.

The pitcher would walk Brandon Crawford to load the bases, but get the opposing pitcher, Madison Bumgarner, to pop out to end the threat.