Reynolds homered during a five-run first inning and was hit by the pitch in the third. Reynolds stayed in the game but was removed in the fifth inning and went to the hospital for a CT scan.
He was not in the Orioles’ starting lineup Sunday, a move manager Buck Showalter labeled “precautionary.”
Before the game, Reynolds accused Santana of throwing inside with the intent of hitting him with the pitch.
“I think he hit me on purpose. I don’t think he hit me on the head on purpose,” Reynolds said. “He threw me a first pitch slider, and I took a pretty big hack at it, and I just think he was trying to give it up a little bit.
“I watched the video and the catcher set up in, and he missed the spot by two feet. Major leaguers don’t do that.”
He understands the concept of a brushback pitch, but said Santana went too far.
“I’m all for pitchers not making batters feel comfortable in the box. I want our pitchers to do the same,” Reynolds said. “But going at the head, that’s career stuff. There’s no place in the game for that at all. … I think it’s as low as you can go.”
Santana also hit Nolan Reimold with a pitch — right after Reynolds batted in the first inning — and issued three walks. He contended that the errant pitch to Reynolds was an accident.
“The whole year I’ve been pitching inside, and I don’t have nothing against him. I don’t throw the ball at him,” Santana said, “Been pitching inside the whole year, and I’m not going to stop pitching inside. I just wanted to pitch inside. The whole game I was all over the place. It was nothing against him.”
MORNEAU SHUT DOWN
Minnesota’s Justin Morneau is out for the season because of concussion symptoms and a cyst in his left knee that needs to be removed.
The first baseman will have surgery on the knee this week, the Twins announced. He also will have a bone spur removed from his left ankle.
The decision to shut down Morneau with 12 games remaining in the regular season means the 30-year-old slugger and former American League MVP will have played in only 69 games. Morneau, who missed two months of the season because of neck surgery, hit .227 with four homers and 30 RBI. All are career lows.
This is the second consecutive year in which Morneau missed much of the season. He was limited to 81 games in 2010 after sustaining a concussion shortly before the All-Star Break.
SHORT HOPS
Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard will get a cortisone shot in his ailing left foot/ankle today, which will probably keep the club’s top run producer out of the lineup until at least Thursday. … The Giants have activated closer Brian Wilson from the 15-day disabled list where he had been since Aug. 21 because of a right elbow strain. Manager Bruce Bochy plans on returning Wilson to the closer role as early as Tuesday. … Reds left-hander Dontrelle Willis was scratched from his start against the Milwaukee Brewers because of back spasms. Willis (0-6), the 2003 NL Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star, has made 12 starts since being called from Triple-A Louisville on July 10.
