#362---All-Star Game, 7/11/2023

 

All good things must come to an end, and the Junior Circuit’s nine-game win streak was snapped by one of the names likely to stand out in the future as the most surprising all-star, Elias Diaz (other candidates at this early juncture include Brent Rooker, Wander Franco who might be whitewashed for his off-field indiscretions, Austin Hays, and Mitch Keller). Facing Felix Bautista down 2-1 in the eighth, Nick Castellanos walked and Diaz homered to flip the score to 3-2. The AL would try to rally as with two outs in the ninth, Kyle Tucker and Julio Rodriguez worked walks off Craig Kimbrel, but Jose Ramirez struck out to end the run of AL domination.

#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.

#357---All-Star Game, 7/11/2017

 

                                         

Marlins Park lived up to its reputation as a pitchers’ park, with each side managing just one run through nine innings. The visitors struck first in the fifth with a two-out double from Jonathan Schoop and single from Miguel Sano against Alex Wood. Yadier Molina homered off Ervin Santana in the sixth to tie it up. Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel each stranded a runner at third in the ninth, and every commissioner’s worst fear was realized as the game went to extra innings. Robinson Cano led off the tenth with a homer off Wade Davis, and Andrew Miller issued a two-out walk to Joey Votto but then fanned Cody Bellinger to save it for the AL.

Most surprising All-Star: Jason Vargas

#356---All-Star Game, 7/11/2016

 All of the game’s scoring came in the first four innings, with Kris Bryant starting it with a homer off Chris Sale. The AL answered in the second when Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez took Johnny Cueto deep, and Hosmer drove in a second run with a third-inning single against Jose Fernandez. Aaron Sanchez allowed the NL a run in the fourth to make it 4-2.

The NL’s big chance came in the eighth, loading the bases against Fernando Rodney, but Will Harris came in to fan Aledmys Diaz (most surprising All-Star). In the ninth, Zack Britton yielded a leadoff single, but used his trademark groundball ability to induce Nolan Arenado to hit into a 543 double play to end the game.

#355---All-Star Game, 7/14/2015

 

Mike Trout hit a leadoff homer against Zack Greinke and added a walk and a steal later in the contest. The AL added two in the fifth and seventh and a homer from Brian Dozier in the eighth to pad their lead, and cruised to a 6-3 victory.

James Hoye made his All-Star umpiring debut patrolling left field.

#354---All-Star Game, 7/15/2014

 

The AL got three in the first against Adam Wainwright on a Derek Jeter double, Mike Trout triple, and Miguel Cabrera homer. Chase Utley and Jonathan Lucroy doubled back-to-back off Jon Lester to cut it to 3-2 in the second, and Lucroy tied it with another RBI double in the fourth. In the fifth, a Trout double and Jose Altuve sac fly gave the AL a 5-3 edge which would hold up the rest of the way.

#353---All-Star Game, 7/16/2013

 

The AL put up single tallies in the fourth, fifth, and eighth, while the Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, and Felix Hernandez retired the first ten NL batters, and they would go on to collect just three hits.

Most surprising All-Stars: Domonic Brown, Steve Delabar, Jason Grilli