#361---All-Star Game, 7/19/2022

 

The NL looked ready to snap their long losing streak by jumping on Shane McClanahan in the first inning, pushing across two runs on four hits (although it could have been worse were it not for the flashy double play turned by Andres Gimenez and Tim Anderson). But hometown pitcher Tony Gonsolin yielded a massive two-run shot to Aaron Judge and a follow-up to the next batter Byron Buxton, and that concluded the day’s scoring. As an AL partisan, I held my breath as a succession of starters without great stuff each got their scoreless inning (Nick Blackburn, Martin Perez, Nestor Cortes) before turning it over to the closers. Emmanuel Clase sealed it by blowing away Garrett Cooper, Kyle Schwarber, and Jake Cronenworth in the ninth, coming just a first pitch ball to the latter away from an immaculate inning.

We’re a little close to make a judgment call on which names will stand in history as most surprising all-stars, but early favorites are Jose Trevino and Joe Mantiply.

#360---All-Star Game, 7/13/2021

 

This game will be most remembered for it being moved from Atlanta to Denver in order to display proper adherence to the civic religion, and for Shohei Ohtani both leading off and pitching for the AL. He was 0-2 at the plate and pitched a 1-2-3 first. Vladimir Guerrero homered for the AL, and both sides got solo homers from catchers (JT Realmuto for the NL and Mike Zunino for the AL). Other runs trickled in and the AL handed Liam Hendriks a 5-2 lead to save in the bottom of the ninth. Omar Narvaez led off with an infield single and then bizarrely was nailed at second trying to move up on a would-be wild pitch. That reduced the potential of Ozzie Albies’ two-out double, and Trea Turner grounded out on the first pitch to end it.

#359---All-Star Game, 7/9/2019

 

This All-Star game was played in Cleveland, and true to the times, strikeouts by AL pitchers were the big story. Shane Bieber earned MVP laurels in his home park by striking out the side in the fifth, three of the sixteen strikeouts racked up by the junior circuit hurlers. The NL only struck out seven AL batters, but the scoreboard was much closer.

Michael Brantley (an honorary hometown player as it was his first year with Houston) opened the scoring with a second inning double, and Jorge Polanco got an infield single in the fifth to make it 2-0. A solo homer from Charlie Blackmon cut the lead in half in the sixth, but the AL tacked on two more in the seventh including a Joey Gallo homer.

Bieber’s status as MVP was imperiled by teammate Brad Hand, who entered in the eighth and allowed two walks and a single to load the bases. Pete Alonso singled to make it 4-3, and a double steal put the go ahead runs in scoring position, but Mike Moustakas fouled out to end the threat. Aroldis Chapman likely would have been MVP had the game been played in any other park as he struck out the side in the ninth to earn the save, but Bieber’s similar feat in the fifth got the nod in Cleveland.

#358---All-Star Game, 7/17/2018

 

A second consecutive All-Star game was played in an NL park and went to extra innings. Thirteen of the fourteen runs scored in this game came on homers:

* Aaron Judge, solo, T2 (1-0 AL)

* Mike Trout, solo, T3 (2-0)

* Willson Contreras, solo, B3 (2-1)

* Trevor Story, solo, B7 (2-2)

* Jean Segura, three runs, T8 (5-2)

* Christian Yelich, solo, B8 (5-3)

* Scooter Gennett (most surprising All-Star), two runs, B9 (5-5)

* Alex Bregman and George Springer, back-to-back to leadoff T10 (7-5)

* Joey Votto, leading off B10 (8-6)

The lone none-homer run was the insurance run Michael Brantley added with a sac fly for the AL in the top of the tenth.