Padres’ Jake Cronenworth somehow stays in Angels game after being hit by a pitch to the face

San Diego Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth was involved in a frightening moment Saturday night, taking a pitch to the face during an at-bat in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

The incident occurred in the top of the fifth inning when a high-and-inside fastball from Yusei Kikuchi struck Cronenworth. The 97-mph pitch grazed his shoulder before hitting him in the chin and jaw area.

Cronenworth, who holds the Padres’ all-time record for hit-by-pitches, immediately dropped to the ground and required attention from trainers, who evaluated him for several minutes. Broadcast replays showed the full impact, with the ball deflecting off his face and then striking catcher Logan O’Hoppe. Nevertheless, Cronenworth stayed in the game after checking his jaw and facial movement, ultimately taking first base.

Scary moment as Jake Cronenworth was hit in the face with a pitch. He walked it off to first base pic.twitter.com/3ykXiHD8ZL

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 19, 2026

Cronenworth’s resilience translated directly into production. He reached base in all four of his plate appearances, finishing 1-for-1 with two walks and a run scored. The 32-year-old also drew a momentum-turning four-pitch walk in the eighth inning, helping trigger a rally that ended a 16-inning scoreless drought for San Diego. He later added another walk in the ninth inning.

In 20 games this season, Cronenworth has a .152 batting average with 10 hits, a home run, 3 RBIs, and 10 runs scored. Over his career, the two-time All-Star owns a .245 average with 697 hits, 81 home runs, 372 RBIs, and 405 runs scored.

The Padres got their offense from Ramon Laureano and Fernando Tatis Jr., who both drove in two runs. On the mound, Germán Márquez kept things quiet over 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and striking out five. In relief, Adrian Morejon earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and Mason Miller closed the door for his seventh save, keeping his scoreless streak alive at 31 2/3 innings.

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