*Photo from the New York Daily News*
After a long wait, the senior circuit is back on top. Luis Arraez drove in a run, Elias Diaz homered, and the NL All Stars defeated the AL squad 3-2 in the All Star Game on Tuesday night in Seattle.
In the 93rd All Star Game, the NL finally emerged on top for the first time since 2012 and just their 4th time in the last 26 years. The game was low scoring but action packed, as Diaz stole the show for the NL with his home run in the 8th inning.
The AL struck first in this one. In the second inning. Yandy Diaz cranked a solo home run to left field, giving the AL a 1-0 lead early on. It would stay that way until the NL's turn in the bottom of the 4th inning. That was when Arraez delivered, hitting an RBI single to right field that scored JD Martinez and tied the score 1-1.
Bo Bichette then gave the AL a 2-1 lead in the 6th inning with a sac fly that was able to score Salvador Perez. It remained that way until the 8th inning when Diaz had his big moment, blasting a two run home run to give the NL a 3-2 lead for good.
Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson said of Diaz's homer that "Guys deserve a chance to showcase what they can do. They’ve earned the right to be here. It might not necessarily be the guys you see on MLB Twitter and Instagram all the time, the quote-unquote faces of baseball, but everyone plays the game the same way and it’s cool for someone like Diaz to do that."
The NL used 9 pitchers to complete the win over the AL. Starting pitchers Zac Gallen, Mitch Keller, Josiah Gray, Alex Cobb, and Justin Steele handled the first 5 innings. Relievers Alexis Diaz, Camilo Doval, Josh Hader, and Craig Kimbrel worked the final 4, with Doval getting the win and Kimbrel the save.
It was Diaz who stole the show at the game for the NL. A first time all star at 32 years old, Diaz made the most of his opportunity with his big 8th inning home run. That earned him MVP honors for the game, and his jersey will be displayed in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Diaz said of the honor that "It means a lot to me, to my family. So proud of what I’ve been doing, what I’ve been able to accomplish. Being in the All-Star Game, for me, is amazing."
Starters Gerrit Cole, Nathan Eovaldi, Sonny Gray, and George Kirby pitched the first 4 innings for the AL squad. Relievers Carlos Estevez, Yennier Cano, Jordan Romano, starter/reliever Michael Lorenzen, relievers Felix Bautista and Kenley Jansen along with starter Pablo Lopez pitched the final 5.
Bautista got the loss for the AL, giving up the two run home run to Diaz in the 8th. Romano was lined up to pitch the entire 7th inning but ended up leaving with back tightness with one out in the 7th, forcing Lorenzen into the game to finish the inning.
AL manager Dusty Baker said that "When he threw his last pitch in the bullpen before he went out there, he just felt some tightness in his lower back. We gotta take every precaution to take care of these players, even if they're on another team, because they got to go back and play."
Up next, the second half of the season begins on Friday, with 30 teams and 15 games in play as the most important part of the regular season kicks off.
Comments
Post a Comment