Atlanta Braves set to land with the fan’s favorite star after much speculations on-going regarding his arrivals after Kansas City Royals agreed deal
The 94th MLB All-Star Game featured triple-digit heat from various pitchers, some dazzling defensive plays across the diamond and plenty of big-time power. The Midsummer Classic, held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, ended in a 5-3 final score as the American League avenged its 2023 loss and won for the 10th time in the past 11 All-Star Games.
Even though Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani slugged a huge three-run home run early on, a quick AL rally and a tiebreaking two-run homer by Boston’s Jarren Duran swung things the other direction. With so much action all evening, it might have been difficult to keep tabs on how your favorite team’s All-Stars fared Tuesday.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: After Vladdy spent Monday night being Teoscar Hernández’s hitting coach and hype man as his close friend won the 2024 Home Run Derby, Guerrero was the Blue Jays’ lone representative in the big game Tuesday. He was robbed of a base hit in his first at-bat by a diving Trea Turner, and with Turner’s Phillies teammates Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper mic’d up that inning, Guerrero’s out drew a huge reaction on the broadcast. He lost the handle on his bat in the fourth — which is becoming curiously common for him lately — and ended 0-for-2 after facing Max Fried and Shota Imanaga.
Corbin Burnes: The kid who grew up idolizing Nolan Ryan got the All-Star start in Texas and escaped the first inning with a zero. Burnes’ battle with Shohei Ohtani was the highlight, but after Burnes got Ohtani swinging through a fantastic cutter that broke in on his hands, he filled the count and walked the reigning AL MVP. After Bryce Harper slapped a double into the left-field corner, Burnes finally got himself out of the inning by forcing William Contreras to chop one back to the mound. Add in Trea Turner, whom Burnes got to fly out, and the Orioles ace faced five hitters already worth a combined 19.1 WAR (FanGraphs) this season.
Gunnar Henderson: Henderson got his first look at Paul Skenes … and is probably happy that Skenes pitches in the NL. Henderson beat a 93.5 mph sinker into the dirt for a groundout to Skenes in his first at-bat. Henderson’s best moment came with the leather, when he ranged to the third-base side to field an awkward chopper from Jurickson Profar and fired back across to first base to end the top of the fourth. After exiting, Henderson joined the broadcast with David Ortiz, who was roaming the dugout with a microphone and asked the O’s star to take it easy on his Red Sox. “I don’t know if I can do that, Big Papi,” he said, so Ortiz asked him to beat the Yankees instead.
