In a Record-Setting All-Star Slugfest, the American League Edges the National League in Extras
Relive the madness of this year's All-Star Game through our live blog below.
11:58 P.M.: A 10TH AND FINAL DINGER, BUT THE AL WINS IT, 8-6.
Emma Baccellieri: And that's a wrap, with some excellent on-field selfie action along with a final tally of 10 home runs, nine walks and 24 strikeouts to make this game as 2018 as possible.
Jon Tayler: Dingers, dingers and dingers: I thought the Home Run Derby ended yesterday. Instead, we saw 10 players go deep in this year’s game, all of which seemed to wilt against the will-they-won’t-they weirdness of Manny Machado’s impending trade to the Dodgers. Not a particularly memorable night, but as Emma notes, one that’s very much in line with the game as it exists in 2018.
11:41 P.M.: THE ASTROS GO BACK-TO-BACK IN THE 10TH
Emma Baccellieri: Didn't have to wait long into extra innings for some action, with Poor Ross Stripling giving up back-to-back home runs to Astros teammates Alex Bregman and George Springer.
Jon Tayler: I thought the Derby was yesterday.
Emma Baccellieri: And a Michael Brantley sac fly adds some variety to the onslaught of dingers, 8-5 American League.
Connor Grossman: Should be noted that it's Stripling's manager, Dave Roberts, leaving him out there to pitch through this mess. He finally gets through it.
11:32 P.M.: SCOOTER GENNETT BLASTS A RECORD-SETTING, GAME-TYING HOMER IN THE NINTH
Jon Tayler: Scooter Gennett doesn’t want his first All-Star Game to end, cranking a two-run homer off Edwin Diaz to tie things up at five in the ninth. That seventh dinger is a new All-Star Game record, and I’m pretty sure everyone still in the press box here at Nationals Park wept the moment it was hit.
Jon Tayler: And Jesus Aguilar comes within a few feet of walking it off with a deep drive to center that George Springer catches up with. In my opinion, he should’ve caught it and then thrown it over the wall.
Connor Grossman: In the clubhouse before the game, Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer said he believed he'd only pitch if the game reached the 10th or 11th inning. "I'm probably the only person in the ballpark rooting for extras." Well, here we are.
11:19 P.M.: ANOTHER HOMER, ANOTHER RUN CLOSER FOR THE NL
Emma Baccellieri: Are those... pajamas? I respect it.
Connor Grossman: This can only mean good things for Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Willson Contreras, Trevor Story, Jean Seguara and Christian Yelich.
11:02 P.M.: JEAN SEGURA DELIVERS WHAT LOOKS LIKE THE DECISIVE BLOW
Connor Grossman: Seconds after Joey Votto drops a Jean Segura popup floating toward the NL dugout, Segura takes Josh Hader deep to make it 5-2 AL. Like we’ve been saying, this game is very 2018. NL on the verge of another All-Star Game loss, which would be their sixth straight and 18th out of the last 21 Midsummer Classics.
[TWEET:https://twitter.com/ktsharp/status/1019422972958986240]
10:44 P.M.: STORY TIME! ROCKIES SHORTSTOP TIES IT UP IN THE SEVENTH
Connor Grossman: Trevor Story cranks 98 MPH in on his hands from Charlie Morton and plants a homer into the leftfield seats. Extra innings, anyone?
Emma Baccellieri: Hmmm, I wonder what this could mean....
10:30 P.M.: A ONE-RUN LEAD FEELS MUCH LARGER THAN THAT
Jon Tayler: For a one-run game, this has been totally devoid of drama thanks to a dearth of baserunners and a ton of strikeouts. And also the fact that it doesn’t matter.
Emma Baccellieri: Yeah, I think your last point there is prooooobably the most crucial, but this three-true-outcomes-heavy game is extremely 2018.
Connor Grossman: Not to mention the fact that they might just be racing to finish the game before the skies open.
[TWEET:https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1019410173159526405]
10:15 P.M.: NOW BATTING FOR THE NATIONAL LEAGUE ... MANNY MACHADO?
Emma Baccellieri: We interrupt this sixth-inning action to tell you that what you were pretty sure would happen all night is almost definitely happening.
Jon Tayler: I enjoy Ken slowly building his way toward a finale.
Connor Grossman: He’s gone full Woj NBA Draft Mode as MLB tries its hardest to keep the spotlight on the All-Star Game.
10:03 P.M.: THE WEATHER LOOKS LIKE IT'LL TAKE A TURN FOR THE WORSE
Emma Baccellieri: Trout pops out in foul territory to end the top of the fifth, and in potentially more pressing news, it looks like rainstorms might be rolling in any minute here.
Jon Tayler: Jose Berrios gets brother-in-law Javy Baez to pop out to right in the fifth, wins bragging rights at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner.
Emma Baccellieri: Playing Mike Trout here and continuing with the weather updates—this does not sound good!
Jon Tayler: We need Trout to give us a live update from the field. Meanwhile, the starters are being pulled, as any one foolish enough to try to score this game now realizes the error of their ways.
9:50 P.M.: BEASTS FROM THE EAST SO FAR
Jon Tayler: Your new pitcher for the NL in the fifth is Phillies ace Aaron Nola, making him the fourth straight (and final) NL East hurler to appear in this game. Too bad the Marlins couldn't find a way to get Jose Ureña or Drew Steckenrider in this game.
Emma Baccelieri: Trout pops out in foul territory to end the top of the fifth, and in potentially more pressing news, it looks like rainstorms might be rolling in any minute here. The wind, at least, is definitely kicking up in the press box.
Jon Tayler: The only thing dropping faster than the barometric pressure is each team's batting average in this game. Folks,
9:40 P.M.: HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE STRIKEOUTS AND WALKS
Jon Tayler: Two at-bats, two strikeouts for Bryce Harper, this time against Snell in the bottom of the fourth. If yesterday's emphatic and dramatic Home Run Derby win was the groundhog predicting an early spring, tonight's lackluster All-Star Game has been a sight of its shadow and six more weeks of winter.
Meanwhile, in Nick Markakis' first All-Star Game at the tender age of 34, he's reached base once, drawing a two-out walk to knock out Snell. In comes Tigers reliever Joe Jimenez, Detroit's lone representative at this year's festivities. His task: Dispatch of Brandon Crawford. He does just that by striking him out looking, the third punchout of the inning. This game so far: 13 combined strikeouts in four innings. How very 2018.
9:25 P.M.: PROBABLY MANNY MACHADO'S FINAL ORIOLES AT-BAT
Emma Baccellieri: Mike Foltynewicz enters the game, making this a good time to note that during yesterday's batting practice before the derby, I heard a group of kids screaming "Mike! Mike!" and turned around fully expecting to see Trout—but nope, Folty. He's made it, folks!
Jon Tayler: Manny Machado makes his second out in as many at-bats. A disgusted Andrew Friedman calls off the trade.
9:16 P.M.: WILLSON CONTRERAS GETS THE NATIONAL LEAGUE ON THE BOARD
Jon Tayler: Our third AL pitcher of the night is the once-snubbed-but-rightfully-here Blake Snell, and he’s very rudely greeted by a homer off the bat of Willson Contreras.
Emma Baccellieri: [insert joke about this being another Home Run Derby here]
Jon Tayler: I feel very bad for Sal Perez, who got to catch Sale and Severino and Snell tonight and then has to go back to Kansas City and put down signs for Jake Junis and Ian Kennedy for the rest of the year.
Connor Grossman: Before the game, Trevor Bauer said Sal Perez catches like his glove is a pillow. Felt like something everyone should know.
9:03 P.M.: MIKE TROUT CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE ALL-STAR GAME
Emma Baccellieri: And Scherzer's night is officially over, as Jacob deGrom enters the game in the very familiar position of not having any run support.
Jon Tayler: Mike Trout reminds us that he is, in fact, the best player in the world by belting a solo homer off deGrom to make it 2-0 AL.
Jon Tayler: Also, I have to say just how happy I am that Nationals Park blasts the absolute Chuck Brown classic “Bustin’ Loose” after home runs.
8:57 P.M.: FUTURE TEAMMATES TAKE SELFIE AT SECOND BASE
Emma Baccellieri: Side note: genuinely endearing to realize that Gleyber Torres struggles with uploading video in landscape mode under pressure. Stars—they're just like us!
Jon Tayler: Chris Sale’s night is done after a single inning. It’s time for Luis Severino, who’s having a “Video game with the difficulty turned off” season.
Emma Baccellieri: Matt Kemp just took a selfie with Manny Machado at second base, which—given the state of the rumor mill—is probably going to be treated like an extremely advanced version of deadline season's usual hug watch.
Jon Tayler: Bryce Harper’s first at-bat ends in a strikeout on a wipeout Severino slider, and there was even some booing in the crowd after it happened. Makes sense; what’s that bum done for Nationals fans lately?
8:47 P.M.: AARON JUDGES BLASTS OFF TO GIVE THE AL AN EARLY LEAD
Jon Tayler: According to the booming disembodied voice of the press box, Luis Severino and Jacob deGrom are warming up for their respective squads. In other words, don’t get too attached to Scherzer or Sale.
Emma Baccellieri: Our first dinger of the night! Aaron Judge may no longer be reigning Home Run Derby champion, but he's clearly still interested in hitting bombs at All-Star events.
Jon Tayler: How many runs would this AL All-Star lineup score in a full season? 2000?
Emma Baccellieri: Good time to ask that question, right before Salvador Perez comes to the plate, .259 OBP and all.
Jon Tayler: In this house we only recognize Wilson Ramos as the AL catcher, injured or not.
Honestly, though, the NL should’ve been forced to hand over Buster Posey or someone to make up for the AL’s insanely weak catcher crop this year.
8:38 P.M.: JAVY BAEZ DOES HIS THING, BUT CHRIS SALE MATCHES SCHERZER'S SCORELESS FIRST
Jon Tayler: A reminder that the starting outfield for the AL is Betts, Trout and Aaron Judge, which is a ludicrous collection of talent, and the kind of thing that reminds you of what makes the All-Star Game fun.
Connor Grossman: It will be more fun when Mike Trout and Aaron Judge are team captains, building their own squads from the pool of announced All-Stars. One day.
Emma Baccellieri: Another thing that makes the All-Star Game fun—give me in-game dugout selfies all the time, please
Jon Tayler: Charlie Blackmon’s beard is its own ecosystem, like a rainforest with a particularly thick canopy. Below it, a ground teeming with life.
Chris Sale gave up a leadoff single to Javy Baez and then nothing else. He remains Good.
8:31 P.M.: MAX SCHERZER ELECTRIFIES NATIONALS PARK IN FIRST INNING
Jon Tayler: In retrospect, Max Scherzer is the perfect starter for the All-Star Game, because he’s psychotic enough to treat this seriously. Like, there’s a better than zero chance he asked NL manager Dave Roberts if he could simply pitch the whole game.
Emma Baccellieri: Useful for this crowd that "Let's go Max" sounds just like "Let's go Nats," which works for the National League just as well as it does for the Nationals.
Jon Tayler: Mike Trout coming back from 1-2 down against Scherzer to work a walk, because there is no such thing as an off-day for Trout. Trout going first to third on that J.D. Martinez single also fits that bill.
And Scherzer gets out of a mini two-on, two-out jam in the first by getting Jose Ramirez to pop up to second to end the inning. I’m sure he’ll curse at himself anyway for letting things get to that sticky point.
Introductions
Jon Tayler: Nothing is going to be more important than Trevor Bauer wearing a Go Pro on his head as he was introduced. Wilson Ramos’s introduction and the rapt reception he got is also a reminder that Nationals Park used to play that awful Phish song “Wilson” during his at-bats when he was here.
Emma Baccellieri: Nice to see that Jose Altuve has color-coordinated his phone case to his uniform. Good team spirit.
Jon Tayler: Also that they gave him the smallest child possible as his accompaniment.
