| In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors. |
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon was knocked unconscious for several minutes and carried off on a stretcher after violently banging heads with second baseman Damian Jackson while chasing a popup Monday night in Boston's 4-3 victory over Oakland in Game 5 of their AL division series.
Damon was on the ground for nine minutes before being taken off the field in an ambulance. He had a ``significant concussion,'' but was alert and awake when he was taken to Highland Hospital, Red Sox team doctor William Morgan said.
Damon was to be kept overnight at the hospital, Morgan said. A CAT scan and X-rays of Damon's neck showed no damage.
His status was uncertain for the opening game of the AL championship series Wednesday in New York. The team said it recommended Damon consult with a neurologist to determine when he could play again.
Jackson said he ``felt a loud bang and my ears were ringing for a bit'' after the collision. He was taken away from Damon by teammates while doctors and trainers attended to the center fielder.
``I wanted to see how he was doing, I wanted to hold his hand, I wanted to go back there and tell him little boy stuff like keep your head up,'' Jackson said. ``It was totally scary. This guy is lying there unconscious, this is not the way it's supposed to go down.''
Damon waved with his right hand as he entered the ambulance, which had driven onto the field. Fans responded with cheers for the former Oakland player.
``When I got there, he was knocked out, he was breathing kind of heavy. I guarantee you those situations are scary,'' said Red Sox right fielder Trot Nixon. ``I said a prayer for Johnny and said the Lord was with him. In those kinds of situations, it makes this game real small.''
Nixon said the Red Sox saved a bottle of champagne for Damon.
Jackson also was on the ground for several minutes after the collision on a popup by Oakland's Jermaine Dye in the seventh inning. He said after the game he was fine, except for a cut on his right forehead.
As Jackson walked off the field and neared the dugout, several Red Sox players had to be restrained after having words with some hecklers.
Jackson, who had entered as a defensive replacement two batters earlier, got his glove on the ball, but it was knocked loose by the force of the collision.
Shortstop Nomar Garciaparra picked up the ball and threw out Dye at second base.
The game resumed after a delay of 10 minutes.