After finishing nine innings all tied up, Major League Baseball All-Star Game was decided by a swing-off for the first time, with the National League emerging victorious after blowing a six-run lead over the final three innings.
In the impromptu home run derby at Truist Park in Atlanta, the teams picked three players to each take three swings. Brent Rooker hit two homers to lead things off for the American League. Kyle Stowers responded with one in his round, then Randy Arozarena also only managed one home run.
Trailing 3-1, Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber came through in the clutch, homering on all three of his swings to put the NL ahead. Then, Jonathan Aranda failed to go long on any of his swings – giving the NL a 4-3 win in the swing-off, with two-time Home Run Derby champion Pete Alonso waiting on deck.
Schwarber was named the game’s MVP for his heroic performance in the swing-off.
“It was really fun. I credit the guys, too, on our side who were really into it,” Schwarber said. “They were cheering along. The fans were into it. Watching the last guy there and we were all kind of just really into it.”
The new tiebreaker format was installed in 2022, but this was the first time since that the Midsummer Classic had finished even after nine innings. Under this format, the game wound up no winning or losing pitcher – but the NL was officially credited with a 7-6 victory.
“It will be interesting to see where that goes,” AL manager Aaron Boone said after the game. “There’s probably a world where you could see that in the future, where maybe it’s in some regular season mix. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if people start talking about it like that.”
The NL’s win is just the second time the Senior Circuit has emerged victorious since 2013 and the AL now holds a 48-45-2 advantage in the all-time series.
The AL had trailed 6-0 in the seventh and rallied back scoring two in the ninth to tie the game. NL manager Dave Roberts opted to start the final frame with Padres closer Robert Suarez, who gave up a one-out RBI double to Bobby Witt Jr. That prompted Roberts to bring in the Mets’ Edwin Diaz. The right-hander retired the first batter he faced but Steven Kwan’s infield single brought Witt home to make it 6-6.
Boston’s Aroldis Chapman came on for the bottom of the ninth and retired the NL in order to send the contest to the tiebreaker.
The game’s scoring began before AL starter Tarik Skubal had even recorded an out, when Ketel Marte laced a two-run double into the right-field corner to score Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. But the reigning Cy Young winner limited the damage there, retiring the next three batters with a man on second.
The sides traded zeroes until Alonso hit an opposite-field three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-0 – the first time the Mets slugger has gone long in the game itself. A few batters later, Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll crushed a solo shot to right-center, extending the NL’s lead to 6-0.
Seven NL pitchers had combined to toss six scoreless innings, but the AL answered right back in the top of the seventh, halving the deficit on Brent Rooker’s three-run homer off Giants reliever Randy Rodriguez. Witt added an RBI groundout in the frame, cutting the lead to 6-4.
Brewers phenom Jacob Misiorowski was named an All-Star after just five career starts, which caused a stir around baseball – but Roberts had enough faith in the youngster to bring him into the eighth with a two-run lead. The 23-year-old flamethrower worked around a hit, but got three outs to notch a hold.
The game featured a pair of poignant moments for Los Angeles Dodgers players, the first when Clayton Kershaw – selected for the team as a “Legend Pick” – was removed by Roberts after retiring a pair of batters in the second inning. The future Hall of Famer left to applause, but it was just a preview of what was coming.
First baseman Freddie Freeman, who spent the first 12 years of his career with the Braves, was replaced with one out in the top of the third, allowing the two-time World Series champion a chance to tip his cap to the Atlanta fans while receiving a thunderous standing ovation.
“I’m OK with crying. That’s just how I am,” Freeman said. “But I didn’t do it today.”
The 2026 All-Star Game will be held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the Phillies’ first time hosting since 1996.
[Article courtesy of USA Today]
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