#352---All-Star Game, 7/10/2012

 

The NL made it three in a row over the AL, getting all they would need off of Justin Verlander in the first, a five-run frame punctuated by Pablo Sandoval’s two-out, three-run triple. Two triples (Rafael Furcal and Ryan Braun) and a Melky Cabrera homer against Matt Harrison in the fourth closed out the scoring.

Making their All-Star debuts were the super rookies Bryce Harper and Mike Trout. Harper walked, struck out, and lost a ball in the Kaufmann Stadium lights; Trout singled, walked, and swiped a base.

Most surprising All-Stars: Bryan LaHair, Ryan Cook

#351---All-Star Game, 7/12/2011

 

Adrian Gonzalez homered off Cliff Lee in in the fourth to give the AL a 1-0 lead, but Prince Fielder answered right back with a three-run shot off CJ Wilson. The NL would tack on two more runs and the AL never really threatened, getting just four baserunners over the last five innings.

Most surprising all-stars: Jordan Walden, Alexei Ogando

#350---All-Star Game, 7/13/2010

 

Through four innings, the midsummer classic was scoreless and each side had just two hits. The NL doubled their hit total in the top of the frame but couldn’t crack the scoreboard, while the AL scratched out the game’s first run without the benefit of a hit as Hong-Chi Kuo issued a walk and committed a throwing error. With one out in the top of the seventh, Scott Rolen and Matt Holliday singled off Phil Hughes. Matt Thornton was summoned and got Chris Young to foul out, but he walked Marlon Byrd to load the bases. Brian McCann cleared them with a double to make it 3-1 NL. Adam Wainwright, Brian Wilson, and Jonathon Broxton made that hold up, and the NL had a rare for the era All-Star triumph.

I would be remiss in not pointed out Nick Swisher’s appearance, becoming the second Buckeye to play in an All-Star Game and the first since Frank Howard in 1971. He struck out against Wainwright in the seventh.

#349---All-Star Game, 7/14/2009

 

This game is most notable for the lack of NL’s lackluster offensive showing; they were retired in order in seven of the nine frames. Yet it was a close game as one of the innings with baserunners was a three-run second off Roy Halladay that counted the AL’s two-run first off Tim Lincecum. Joe Mauer’s double off Chad Billingsley in the fifth tied it, and it remained that way until the eighth when Curtis Granderson tripled off Heath Bella and Jacque Jones plated him with a sacrifice fly. Joe Nathan got into some two out trouble in the eighth, but fanned Ryan Howard with runners at the corners to preserve the lead. Mariano Rivera then closed it out 1-2-3 in the ninth.

#348---All-Star Game, 7/10/2007

 

The AL got all five of its runs on homers, the first coming from Ichiro Suzuki (who also collected two other hits to earn MVP laurels) on an inside the park homer into Pac Bell Park’s triples alley. Carl Crawford and Victor Martinez added homers later, and it was 5-2 AL heading into the ninth. JJ Putz retired the first two batters, but then the NL mounted a furious rally to try to avenge the AL’s two-out, bases empty ninth inning rally in the 2008 game. Dmitri Young got an infield single, Alfonso Soriano homered, and JJ Hardy walked to drive Putz from the game. K-Rod came in and promptly walked Derrek Lee and Orlando Hudson, but he got Aaron Rowand to fly to right to get the save by the skin of his teeth.

Playing in his last All-Star Game, Barry Bonds was 0-2, but at least he got to play in front of an appreciative home crowd rather than in front of the jackals that would have confronted him in any of the other 29 parks.

#347---All-Star Game, 7/11/2006

 

Vladimir Guerrero and David Wright traded second inning longballs before the NL took a 2-1 lead on Roy Halladay’s wild pitch in the third. For the next five innings, each side mustered only two baserunners as luminary relievers like Brian Fuentes and Derek Turnbow controlled the game.

In the ninth the actual relief luminaries came in. Trevor Hoffman (#2 on the all-time save list) got two comebackers and was just one out away before Paul Konerko singled and Troy Glaus doubled. Michael Young fouled off the first two pitches he saw, then lined a triple to center that pulled the game out of the fire for the AL.

Now it was Mariano Rivera’s (#1 on the all-time save list) chance, and he dodged a Jose Lopez error, to close out the NL.

#346---All-Star Game, 7/12/2005

 

It didn’t take long after “This Time it Counts” became a thing to go back to the model of the primary goal of the All-Star manager being to completely empty the bench and bullpen. The ninth inning is a perfect example as Bob Wickman, BJ Ryan, and Mariano Rivera were all deployed. The NL had the tying runs on with nobody out, but Paul LoDuca, Carlos Lee, and Morgan Ensberg could not deliver.

#345---All-Star Game, 7/13/2004

Roger Clemens did not have a good outing in his home park, as the AL batted around and put up six runs, hitting for the cycle with homers from Manny Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano. David Ortiz later replaced his teammate Ramirez and also hit a two-run homer; they each homered and walked, with Ramirez also making an out. Ted Lilly, Joe Nathan, Tom Gordon, Francisco Rodriguez, and Mariano Rivera combined to retire the final twelve NL hitters.

I think Dan Kolb and Ken Harvey win this game’s prize for most surprising All-Stars

#344---All-Star Game, 7/9/2002

 

This was the infamous All-Star tie that incited a ridiculous overreaction of “This Time it Counts” and a brief three-year period where the game was managed differently. Of course I’m obligated to point out Barry Bonds’ two-run homer in the third, after being robbed on the warning track by Torii Hunter in the first. The AL trailed 5-2 entering the seventh, but scored four to take the lead before the NL took it back in the bottom of the frame. Omar Vizquel’s eighth inning triple tied it up at seven, and from that point forward there was no further scoring, and after eleven innings it was decided that Freddy Garcia and Vicente Padilla not be hung out to dry. Bud Selig had quite a coup on his hands at his Milwaukee All-Star game.

#343---All-Star Game, 7/10/2001

 

The AL won this midsummer classic on the strength of three solo homers: back-to-back shots from Derek Jeter and Magglio Ordonez off Jon Lieber in the sixth, but most infamously Cal Ripken’s third inning homer off Chan Ho Park. Ripken celebration was the theme of the day, and my notes suggest that I wasn’t having it – the note at the very top bemoans the delay “before first pitch for Gwynn/Ripken waste of time”. Tony Gwynn did not play in this game, while Ripken was also feted by A-Rod moving him to shortstop for the first inning before they switched back to their appointed positions in the second.

Rookie Albert Pujols made his All-Star debut, entering at third base in the bottom of the fifth, drawing a walk in his only PA, and playing second base in the eighth inning. During the regular season, Pujols’ career at second base consisted of 3 1/3 innings in one 2008 game.