Cardinals’ Tudor Suffers Broken Leg in Dugout Collision With Mets’ Lyons

A freak accident that will deprive the St. Louis Cardinals of their best pitcher, John Tudor, for three months was the team’s second major setback of the young season.

In the first week of the season, All-Star catcher Tony Pena broke a thumb when struck by a pitched ball. Pena will be out for two months.

Tudor, who beat the world champion New York Mets Friday night at St. Louis, was sitting in the Cardinal dugout Sunday watching the Cardinals try to complete a sweep of the series.

But he became a casualty. In the third inning, Mets’ rookie catcher Barry Lyons chased Jack Clark’s pop foul into the dugout, crashed into the left-hander and broke Tudor’s right leg.

Doctors said Tudor broke the tibia below the knee. He will have his leg in a cast for at least two months.

Cardinal second baseman Tommy Herr said the injury should never have happened.

“I was on the top step yelling, ‘No play, no play,’ “Herr said. “He (Lyons) was coming full tilt. Everybody was yelling at him to stop.”

Tudor won 34 games in the previous two seasons for the Cardinals. Lyons was unhurt.