NEWSLETTER
The MLB All-Star Game had no shortage of memorable moments as the AL topped the NL in the Midsummer Classic for the ninth straight time on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
American League Wins Ninth Straight
Clayton Kershaw allowed a leadoff single to Shohei Ohtani to open last night’s All-Star Game but promptly picked the Angels superstar off and then retired the next two hitters to give the NL All-Stars a strong start in front of the home crowd at Dodger Stadium last night in his first career ASG start.
The NL All-Stars even got on the board first when Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts singled up the middle against Rays southpaw Shane McClanahan to give the NL All-Stars a 1-0 lead in the home half of the first inning.
Paul Goldschmidt added another run with a solo home run off McClanahan with two outs in the first inning to make it 2-0 NL. But, the American League put on a pitching clinic from there on out, holding the NL All-Stars without a hit until the bottom of the eighth when Austin Riley singled. Unfortunately for the NL All-Stars, White Sox closer Liam Hendriks came into the game and got the final out of that inning by getting Riley’s teammate Travis d’Arnaud to fly out to Julio Rodríguez.
The American League, like the National League, did all of their scoring on Tuesday night in one frame. The game’s MVP Giancarlo Stanton drilled a two-run home run to get the AL on the board and even things up in the top of the fourth inning.
Twins centerfielder Byron Buxton delivered the go-ahead and eventual winning run in the very next at-bat with a home run of his own off Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin, making it 3-2 AL.
Ironically, it was Gonsolin, who hasn’t lost a decision this season for the Dodgers, who took the loss for the NL All-Stars in front of the home crowd in Los Angeles last night, allowing all three American League runs in his inning of work.
The American League has now won nine consecutive Midsummer Classics and is 21-3-1 against the National League in All-Star Games, dating back to 1997.
Best of the ASG
I was rooting for the game to end in a tie so we could see the first-ever tie-breaker Home Run Derby last night, but no luck was had there. Still, the game had plenty of fun moments outside of the action between the lines.
Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah was mic’d up in the bottom of the second inning as he struck out the side, lacking no confidence in doing so:
Yankees battery Nestor Cortes and Jose Trevino had some fun with two-way communication in the sixth inning. Listening to the two discuss the game plan for attacking the hitter was excellent viewing entertainment.
The world got to know 21-year-old Julio Rodríguez a little bit more last night when he spent a half-inning mic’d up talking with the FOX broadest. The Mariners slugger called Robinson Cano’s 10th inning go-ahead and eventual game-winning home run in the 2017 All-Star Game his favorite ASG moment growing up. J-Rod has the perfect personality for something like that, and that’ll go a long way towards his rising star in baseball continuing to grow.
Speaking of personalities … Liam Hendriks wanted his ball from the out he recorded to end the eighth inning last night, and Julio Rodríguez nearly launched it into the stands after making the catch. Thankfully for Hendriks, he’s one of the louder people on the field at any given time.
The ‘Ump Cam’ used last night was also pretty cool and a nice reminder that MLB hitters are ELITE regardless of the numbers on the back of their baseball cards. I mean, just look at the filth they have to face:
Continuing that thought …
