Jonathan Aranda Falls Short in Swing-Off, But Tampa Bay Rays Had Solid All-Star Game
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The Tampa Bay Rays showed out down in at Atlanta on Tuesday, both at the plate and on the mound.
Junior Caminero slapped a single up the middle in the third. Drew Rasmussen tossed a perfect fifth inning. Jonathan Aranda drew a walk and scored in the seventh, then added a single of his own in the eighth.
And yet, when the lights were brightest and it came down to a Ray at the plate, Aranda fell just short.
The 27-year-old first baseman hit third for the American League in the first-ever swing-off to decide the 2025 MLB All-Star Game. With the score tied 6-6 through nine innings, each manager hand-picked three of their best sluggers, who got three swings apiece to rack up as many home runs as possible.
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber went 3-for-3 to put the National League up 4-3, setting up Aranda in a do-or-die situation. Needing one home run to keep the AL alive and put the pressure on New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, Aranda proceeded to send a line drive into right-center, go off the wall in right, then pop out to end the contest.
Aranda has 11 home runs through 91 games this season and 21 homers across 201 games for his MLB career. He is batting .324 with an .892 OPS and 2.9 WAR so far in 2025.
Had the AL pulled out the win, it would have marked the biggest comeback victory in All-Star Game history. The NL held a 6-0 lead through six, before Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker homered, Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. drove in a pair and Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan knotted the score on an infield single.
It was still largely a successful showing for Tampa Bay, even if it ended on a sour note – much like many of their close losses in the leadup to the All-Star break. Schwarber's heroics got far more attention that Aranda's missed opportunity in an exhibition game, anyways, so the first-time All-Star shouldn't lose any sleep over it.
Alright, Alright, All-Star ⭐#AllStarGame | #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/iF1qBoPGmR
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 16, 2025
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You can follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.
Sam Connon covers baseball for "On SI'' on the Sports Illustrated platform and is also a senior writer on "Fastball on SI'' and ''Minor League Baseball on SI.'' He previously covered UCLA Athletics for "On SI's'' All Bruins site, among others.
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