After a blip in 2023, the American League is back to doing what it almost always does in the MLB All-Star Game: convincingly beating the National League.
Behind big hits from New York Yankees slugger Juan Soto, Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran and Cleveland Guardians breakout star David Fry, the AL defeated the NL 5-3 on Tuesday at Globe Life Field. After dropping last year’s All-Star Game, the AL has now won 10 of the past 11 Midsummer Classics and 22 of the past 27.
Duran won All-Star MVP honors for his efforts, which included the go-ahead homer. He’s the first member of the Red Sox to win the award since J.D. Drew in 2008.
It was the NL, however, that struck first and struck loudest in a game in which both teams were wearing widely panned uniforms.
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, playing for the NL for the first time after leaving the Los Angeles Angels, crushed a three-run homer in the third inning for his first All-Star Game homer and the Dodgers’ first since Mike Piazza in 1996.
The AL responded quickly. Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien led off the bottom of the third with a single, followed by a walk from Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians. Soto, another star who changed leagues this offseason, then came through with a double to cut the lead to one. That was followed by a pinch-hit single from Fry to tie it.
The go-ahead runs came in the fifth inning, when Duran took Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene deep for a two-run homer.
The AL played with fire for the rest of the game — especially when Seth Lugo of the Kansas City Royals allowed two baserunners, one of them being Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz, in the seventh inning — but the bullpen held firm.
Perhaps the most dominant performance of the night belonged to the Oakland Athletics’ Mason Miller, who took the mound in the fifth inning and proceeded to inflict carnage. After getting Ketel Marte to fly out, he struck out Ohtani on four pitches, the last a wipeout slider, and then threw the fastest pitch ever measured by Statcast in an All-Star Game against Trea Turner, who also struck out.
With the win, Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy joined Tony La Russa as the only managers to win the All-Star Game with both leagues, per Elias Sports Bureau.
The AL’s victory ended an All-Star week full of headlines, including Oregon State’s Travis Bazzana becoming the first Australian player taken No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft and Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández winning the Home Run Derby after a bizarre national anthem, which Ingrid Andress later said she performed while drunk.
Here’s how the whole game played out, with live commentary from Yahoo Sports:
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AL secures 5-3 win, shuts down NL hitters for final 6 innings
Shohei Ohtani got the party started with a third-inning, three-run home run, but Jarren Duran’s bat proved to be the difference in the game. The Red Sox outfielder broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run, fifth-inning home run for a 5-3 AL lead that stood as the final score. Duran earned MVP honors for his effort (1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI).
AL pitchers kept the NL off the board for the final six innings, and Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase closed the ninth inning with a strikeout of Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds. The AL has now won 10 of the past 11 All-Star games.
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Tanner Scott, Jeff Hoffman combine to keep AL off board in the 8th
Tanner Scott sat down two, and Jeff Hoffman came in to secure the final out of the bottom of the eighth for the NL. Hoffman and Kyle Finnegan are the only NL pitchers remaining as the AL holds a 5-3 lead heading into the ninth.
Pete Alonso’s up first as the NL looks to extend the game.
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Kirby Yates sits down NL side in front of home fans
Rangers closer Kirby Yates got the job done in an efficient top of the eighth inning, sitting down three NL batters on 10 pitches. The AL holds a 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth.
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NL manager Torey Lovullo is committed to using all his pitchers, apparently
Robert Suarez exits after two outs and is replaced by the Phillies’ Matt Strahm. The NL has three pitchers remaining after him: Kyle Finnegan, Jeff Hoffman and Tanner Scott.
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Seth Lugo gets Marcell Ozuna to end the threat
With two runners on base, including the fastest man in baseball at second, Seth Lugo forced an easy grounder from Braves DH Marcell Ozuna to protect the 5-3 AL lead. Here comes Padres reliever Robert Suarez to keep it close for the NL.
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Elly De La Cruz thought about going for a double
The Reds phenom hit a scorching single and absolutely thought about going for two, but Jarren Duran made a clean play in deep center to discourage him.
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Reynaldo López blows away Salvador Perez to end the inning
We’ll see if he’s back out there in the seventh. Meanwhile, the Royals’ Seth Lugo takes the mound for the AL.
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A mid-inning pitching change!
Sánchez gets Isaac Paredes and Josh Naylor on one pitch each, and now NL manager Torey Lovullo pulls him for Reynaldo López.
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Freddie Freeman called out after replay review
The umpires determine Naylor’s foot (aided by Freeman) hit the bag before Freeman, and it doesn’t matter if Naylor was blocking his path. To the bottom of the sixth we go, with the Phillies’ Christopher Sánchez pitching for the NL.
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Controversy!
Freddie Freeman hits into what should have been an inning-ending double play, but it looks like Josh Naylor’s foot was in the way as he reached first base. We now have a replay review challenge in the All-Star Game.
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Bryce Harper nearly got a run back for the NL
He hit an opposite-field fly ball that dies at the warning track. As an aside, it’s the sixth inning and the NL still has its starters in, while the Al has completely turned over its lineup. Some fans will like it, others will not.
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Manager Bruce Bochy gets it. Royals lefty Cole Ragans enters the game, and so do teammates Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez.
— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilsonTXR) July 17, 2024
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That’s the first Red Sox HR in the All-Star Game since Adrian Gonzalez in 2011.
— Gabrielle Starr (@gfstarr1) July 17, 2024
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Jarren Duran breaks the tie with a two-run homer, AL leads 5-3
Anthony Santander followed Seager’s near-miss with a single, then Jarren Duran continued a dream season with a 413-foot homer. The AL has scored five unanswered runs.
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Corey Seager comes a few feet short of a solo homer
Facing Reds standout Hunter Greene, the reigning World Series MVP pulled a ball with home run distance into his home park’s stands, then hit another fly ball to the warning track (a home run in 17 of 30 MLB ballparks). You can tell Globe Life Field wanted that one.
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Mason Miller throws the fastest pitch in the history of the All-Star Game (measured by Statcast)
The A’s flamethrower hit 104 mph (OK, 103.6 per Statcast) to blow away Trea Turner to end the top of the fifth. That’s the fastest pitch ever measured by Statcast in the All-Star Game.
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Mason Miller just Mason Miller’d Shohei Ohtani
The hardest thrower in the big leagues just made Ohtani look foolish. The sequence: 100.6 mph fastball, 88.7 mph slider, 101.8 mph fastball, 89.2 mph slider. That was really mean.
