There was no better start to the MLB All-Star game. On the mound was Clayton Kershaw, the best pitcher in an entire generation of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although he has played nine of these matches, it was the first time he had started one, surprisingly. He did it at home, in front of the same crowd that two years ago saw the Angelenos champion for the first time in 43 years. Kershaw had in front of him Shoehi Otani, the sensation of the Anaheim Angels, a pitcher who also knows how to hit. He showed it on the first ball of the night that he traveled home. The Japanese Otani, the second with the most home runs in the American conference, hit it. Moments later, the left-hander eliminated Otani at first base due to a distraction. Still, the hit predicted another night of AFC dominance in the American summer classic.
In the first turn at bat, the National League demonstrated its offensive power. The first three players to visit the box hit pitches made by Shane McClanahan of the Tampa Bay Rays. Ronald Acuña of the Atlanta Braves was the first to score thanks to an RBI by Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts. This was eliminated after a colorful double play by Andrés Gimenez and Tim Anderson that included a shot from behind.
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt showed why numbers don’t lie in a sport like baseball. The second-best batting average in the league, behind only Luis Arraez (who went 1-for-2 in the game), hit the first home run of the night. This put those in the National Conference on track to break the curse of eight years in which the American has stayed with the night of the stars.
Sports analysts say that the stadium in Los Angeles, a city known for its benevolent climate, gives hitters an advantage once the sun goes down. It must be true because when sunset came the American conference began to distribute clubs on the diamond. The victim was Tony Gonsolin, another pitcher who, like Kershaw, played at home. It was the top of the fourth inning and the dodger had thrown eleven balls. Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees blasted the 12th ball over the wall on a 140-yard home run that tied the game at 2-2. The tie lasted only a breath, as the next at bat, Byron Buxton of the Minnesotta Twins, scored another home run to left field. It is the first time since 2018 that two players hit two home runs in a row.
Stanton, a native of California who grew up a few miles from Dodger Stadium, won MVP of the night. He received the trophy from tennis legend Billie Jean King, who is part of the Dosgers’ ownership team.
The die seemed cast when the seventh inning arrived, the hour of the closers. Jorge Lopez of the Baltimore Orioles, a team that has posted a 10-game winning streak this season, struck out two NL batters. He was then relieved for Detroit’s Gregory Soto to see action at the historic field built on Chavez Ravine.
If the game began with a hit from an Atlanta player, it was Austin Riley, from the same team, who was in charge of bringing the National team out of lethargy. Those in white suffered a long drought after an intense start. But they didn’t get another hit until Riley’s in the eighth. inning. This despite the fact that several bat legends passed through the starting box. Albert Pujols, who is in the twilight of his career and today played his last All Star (of eleven). Juan Soto, who won home runs on Monday night, had a low-key evening despite being one of MLB’s rising figures.
The Dominican Emmanuel Clase was in charge of breaking the dream of a comeback. The Cleveland Guardians pitcher took three batters out of the game in the bottom of the ninth to end the night in a baseball cathedral that has seen several comebacks. Tonight there was none. The dominance of the American extends for the ninth consecutive year.
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