Final: American 6, National 3
WP: David Price (1-0, 0.00 ERA) LP: Clayton Kershaw (0-1, 18.00 ERA)
Cincinnati, OH - The 86th installment of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game ended in favor of the American League (41-43-2), as they topped the National League (43-41-2), 6-3.
Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who is native to Millville, New Jersey, became the first player in Major League Baseball history to win-back-to-back All-Star Game Most Valuable Player awards. He went 2-3 with a triple and two runs-batted-in last year at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The American League, clinching home-field advantage in this October's World Series, has won three consecutive All-Star games. They have outscored the National League over this stretch, 14 runs to six.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| American | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 2 |
| National | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
Scoring got underway right away for the American League, against the National League's Zack Greinke in the top of the first inning. Batting leadoff, Trout went yard to the first row in right field. Trout is the first player to hit a lead-off home run in an All-Star Game since Royals' outfielder Bo Jackson in 1989.
Greinke allowed just one more base runner in the first, a walk to third baseman Josh Donaldson. He threw 23 pitches in the first, 14 for strikes.
Astros' southpaw, Dallas Keuchel, threw a 1-2-3 frame during the next half-inning. He retired center fielder Andrew McCutchen, third baseman Todd Frazier, and right fielder Bryce Harper on just 10 combined pitches (seven strikes).
After allowing the home run and walk to Trout and Donaldson respectively, Greinke retired the next six batters he faced spanning two combined innings of work. Four of these recorded outs were strikeouts for the 2009 American League Cy Young Award winner. Concurrently, Greinke became the first pitcher to strike out at least four batters in an All-Star Game since Pedro Martinez in 1999.
Largely because of a throwing error committed by Donaldson to begin the bottom of the second, the National League All-Stars were able to tie the game at one that inning. With two outs and a runner on third, Cardinals' shortstop Jhonny Peralta hit a RBI-single off of Keuchel, which brought-home the unearned run on his finale line.
Pirates' ace, and first overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft, Gerrit Cole, took over in relief of Greinke in the top of the third. Over 18 pitches, he allowed just one base runner: a two-out walk to Donaldson. 11-year veteran and 29 year-old right hander for the Seattle Mariners, Félix Hernández, entered in the bottom of the third inning to relieve Keuchel. King Felix managed to throw a scoreless inning over just eight pitches. He struck out one batter: five-time All-Star for the Pirates, McCutchen.
The Most Valuable Player in last year's World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals, left hander Madison Bumgarner, took over for Cole and the National League in the top-half of the fourth. Despite allowing two runners to reach, a single by right fielder Lorenzo Cain and a wild-pitch after striking out catcher Salvador Perez, Bumgarner still managed to keep the score notched at one.
In relief of Hernandez in the bottom of the fourth, Tigers' left-handed ace and five-time All-Star David Price threw just 11 pitches (seven strikes), and struck out two batters: Harper and first baseman from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Paul Goldschmidt.
Southpaw Clayton Kershaw, who was a late add to the National League roster once Washington's Max Scherzer was announced as being unavailable to throw, entered in the top of the fifth for the National League. Royals' shortstop Alcides Escobar singled to lead off. Three batters later, Albert Pujols walked off of the three-time Cy Young Award winner, to put two runners on. Pinch-hitting for designated hitter Nelson Cruz, Prince Fielder hit a RBI-single to give the American League a 2-1 advantage. Cain followed with his second hit of the night in three at-bats, a RBI-double to left field to score Pujols and put his team up by two runs.
Tampa Bay Rays' right hander Chris Archer, making his first career All-Star Game appearance, relieved Price in the bottom of the fifth. He allowed just one base runner over 15 pitches, a walk to Peralta. The next half-inning, New York Mets' Jacob deGrom who was also making his debut at the Mid-Summer Classic, struck out the opposing side in order.
deGrom is the first pitcher in All-Star Game history with three strikeouts in 10 or fewer pitches in an inning since former Astros closer Brad Lidge accomplished such feat in 2005 (11 pitches).
Archer returned to the mound in the sixth for his second inning of relief. On his first thrown pitch, McCutchen homered to left field to cut the National League's deficit in half, 3-2. McCutchen's blast was just the National League's third hit of the game, and their first since the bottom of the second inning. Left hander from the Baltimore Orioles, Zach Britton, finished the inning on the mound for the American League.
With both Trout and McCutchen going deep, tonight was occurrence since 1965 that both lead-off men in the starting lineups homered in an All-Star Game.
Milwaukee Brewers' closer, Francisco Rodriguez, allowed two runs in the top of the seventh to give the American League a 5-2 lead. After Trout began the inning with a lead-off walk, Manny Machado in at third for Donaldson hit a RBI-double. Two batters later, Fielder secured his second RBI of the night with a sacrifice fly-RBI.
Yankees' right handed reliever Dellin Betances took over for Britton in the bottom of the seventh. He allowed just one base runner in his second career All-Star Game appearance: a walk to Cubs' rookie third baseman Kris Bryant.
The next half-inning, Pirates' right handed reliever Mark Melancon struck out the first two batters he faced. Pinch-hitting for second baseman Jason Kipnis, the Minnesota Twins' Brian Dozier hit a solo-shot to center field off Melancon, increasing the American League's lead to four runs.
Dozier is the 16th player in Major League Baseball history to hit a home run in his first Mid-Summer Classic appearance.
With one out in the bottom of the eighth against Kansas City right hander Wade Davis, right fielder Justin Upton singled to center field for just the fifth hit of the night for the National League. The National League failed to bring Upton home in the inning however, increasing their team runners-left-on-base total to six.
Reds' flamethrower Aroldis Chapman took over for Melancon in the ninth. He struck out the side in order, reaching as fast as 103 miles per hour on the radar gun.
The National League failed to put together a significant rally in the bottom of the ninth against Twins' left hander Glen Perkins. Six-time All-Star Ryan Braun hit a pinch-hit triple to begin the inning, and eventually came around to score as shortstop Brandon Crawford hit a sac-fly RBI to left field. Bryant and second baseman Joe Panik flew and lined out respectively off of Perkins, subsequently ending the ball game.
The league with home-field advantage in the World Series has won five out of the last six series, as noted at the end of the FOX broadcast by play-by-play announcer Joe Buck.
Starting Pitchers
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Keuchel | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Zack Greinke | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4.50 |
- Keuchel: ND; 31 pitches, 19 strikes; 4 groundouts, 0 flyouts; 8 faced batters
- Greinke: ND; 39 pitches, 25 strikes; 1 groundout, 0 flyouts; 8 faced batters
Out of the 'Pen
American
- Felix Hernandez (3rd): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA
- David Price (4th): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA
- Chris Archer (5th, 6th): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR, 6.75 ERA
- Zach Britton (6th): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA
- Dellin Betances (7th): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA
- Wade Davis (8th): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA
- Glen Perkins (9th): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR, 9.00 ERA
National
- Gerrit Cole (3rd): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, o HR, 0.00 ERA
- Madison Bumgarner (4th): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA
- Clayton Kershaw (5th): 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0 HR, 18.00 ERA
- Jacob deGrom (6th): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA
- Francisco Rodriguez (7th): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO, 0 HR, 18.00 ERA
- Mark Melancon (8th): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR, 9.00 ERA
- Aroldis Chapman (9th): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA
At the Plate
American
- Mike Trout: 1-3, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB, .333 AVG
- Prince Fielder: 2 PA, 1-1, 2 RBI, 1.000 AVG
- Lorenzo Cain: 2-3, 2B, RBI, .667 AVG
National
- Andrew McCutchen: 1-3, R, HR, RBI, .333 AVG
- Ryan Braun: 1-1, R, 3B, 1.000 AVG
- Jhonny Peralta: 1-1, RBI, BB, 1.000 AVG
Matt Rappa (@mattrappasports) is managing editor of Philliedelphia.com.
