The National League Finally Won An MLB All-Star Game
The National League has been in rough shape the past decade when it comes to their win-loss record. You would think a team comprised of the best players in half of baseball would have some more success, but the fact of the matter is that the American League All-Stars have won the last 9 Midsummer Classics in a row. That’s an incredible stretch, one that feels like more of an anomaly than anything. Well, last night that finally changed. It wasn’t the most exciting game from start to finish, but when the dust settled, Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson emerged victorious, helping end the NL’s long drought. What’s even better is that the Phillies’ 2 All-Stars played an important role in the victory.
The game started off with a bang. The first two batters of the game for the NL both smoked a couple balls off of Gerrit Cole, who started for the AL, and yet both ended up out thanks to some outstanding catches by the Rangers’ Adolis Garcia and the Rays’ Randy Arozarena. Take a look at the plays that set off the show Tuesday night:
WHAT. A. START. #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/6gj8KWrhRX
— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2023
Wow. That will wake you up on a sleepy July evening. Unfortunately, the middle innings weren’t quite as exciting, with minimal offense for either side. There were some cool interviews with players, including an awkward interaction between FOX’s Joe Davis, who was calling the game, and Diamondbacks OF Corbin Carroll, a first-time All-Star, in which Davis broke the news to Carroll that Ichiro Suzuki (Carroll’s favorite player growing up) actually preferred the Marlins’ Luis Arraez as a hitter. Talk about a weird time to bring that up.
The action didn’t really kick back in until the 8th inning, with the AL leading 2-1. Nick Castellanos walked to start off the inning, and then Rockies’ catcher Elias Diaz parked one into the left-field seats to put the NL up 3-2 with 6 outs to get. Does that happen if Nick Castellanos doesn’t walk? It’s hard to say, but I’m going to put my vote in for no. Then, in the bottom of the 9th, Craig Kimbrel took the mound for a chance to close the game out. Of course, he did, as he has been doing for the Phillies all season long. Yes, the Phillies played a large part, and the National League finally got to go home happy, with Diaz taking home the MVP for the game. In an event that has lost some luster in past years, at least Phillies fans got to see their stars shine in Seattle.
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