DETROIT -- An Opening Day marathon that featured seemingly everything between the Pirates and Tigers at Comerica Park included home-plate umpire Mike Everitt leaving the game in the bottom of the eighth inning after being hit by a pitch and sustaining a concussion.
During Dixon Machado's at-bat to lead off the inning, Pirates reliever George Kontos' second pitch sailed over catcher Francisco Cervelli and deflected off Everitt's mask.
"It squared him up perfect," Machado said. "It hit him right in the middle [of the mask], and he was shaking. He didn't say anything. It got him pretty good."
Cervelli immediately recognized Everitt was shaken and held him up as Tigers head athletic trainer Doug Teter emerged from the dugout to check on him. Teter walked Everitt down the tunnel behind home plate and up to the training room.
Tony Randazzo, who had been the second-base umpire, took over at home plate as part of a three-man umpiring crew the rest of the way. Randazzo, too, required attention a couple of times, seemingly for something with his eye, but remained in the game.
The Pirates won, 13-10, in 13 innings. The series continues on Saturday afternoon.