Boston’s Jarren Duran, the All-Star MVP, hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth inning and the American League beat the National League 5-3 on Tuesday night for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.
Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes pitched a hitless first for the NL, twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer in the third for a 3-0 lead.
Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on David Fry’s single to tie the score in the third, and Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene.
Jarren Duran homers to make it 5 unanswered runs for the AL squad! #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/jRiI8d8EfE
—@MLB
Duran is the fifth Boston player to be an All-Star MVP, the first since J.D. Drew in 2008. The others were Pedro Martinez in 1999, Roger Clemens in 1986 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.
“It’s a surreal moment. So I’m just thankful to be here,” said Duran, who was one of 39 first-time All-Stars this year.
Oakland right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph pitch, the fastest in the All-Star Game since tracking began in 2008. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.
Before the game, incoming Hall of Fame electee Adrian Beltre was joined by a legendary Texas Rangers trio and fellow Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, and Chatham-Kent, Ont., native Fergie Jenkins for the ceremonial first pitch.
Beltre had the honour of toss out the first pitch to Rodriguez.
TEXAS RANGERS LEGENDS ?
Adrián Beltré throws out the first pitch to Pudge Rodriguez while being joined by Nolan Ryan and Fergie Jenkins #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/CPGVlfk3iD
The 22-year-old Skenes, who has pitched only 11 big league games since being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft last July, became the first rookie starter since 1995 and had the fewest games played for any player to make an All-Star team. The right-hander threw a hitless first, with a two-out walk to Soto before his Yankees teammate Aaron Judge grounded into a forceout on the next pitch.
Skenes threw 11 of 16 pitches for strikes, with seven fastballs up to 100.1 mph.
Ohtani, who has gone deep 29 times in the first season of his record $700 million US, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, pulled a 400-foot drive to right off Tanner Houck. That came after the Boston right-hander allowed singles to the first two batters he faced: No. 9 batter Jurickson Profar and leadoff hitter Ketel Marte.
SHOHEI OHTANI #ALLSTARGAME HOMER! pic.twitter.com/Q8QF8nuEbu
—@MLB
“I haven’t really hit well in the All-Star Game, so I’m just relieved that I put the ball in play,” Ohtani said. “I just focused on having a regular at-bat as if I was in the regular season.”
When Ohtani went against Miller in the fifth, he struck out on an 89.2 mph slider well inside and out of the strike zone. That was after twice taking strikes on fastballs of more than 100 mph.
Baltimore’s Anthony Santander, after taking over for Soto in right field, had a two-out single in the fifth before Duran’s 413-foot homer to right-centre after he had replaced Judge in centre.
The AL has a 48-44-2 record in the All-Star Game, and had won nine in a row before the National League’s 3-2 victory last year in Seattle.
AL starter Corbin Burnes arrived in Texas the morning of the game after spending time at home with his newborn twin daughters. The Baltimore right-hander allowed a walk and then a two-out double to Bryce Harper before getting out of his inning on a comebacker by William Contreras, his catcher last season in Milwaukee.
After his underhand toss of the ball to first base, Burnes had a big smile on his face when he kept jogging and wrapped his arm around Contreras on the baseline.
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