The top 11 moments from 93rd All-Star Game
The All-Star Game is always full of memorable moments, and its 93rd edition at T-Mobile Park in Seattle was no exception.
Elias Díaz crushed a pinch-hit two-run home run in his first All-Star Game at-bat, an eighth-inning shot that gave the National League a 3-2 come-from-behind win on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park in Seattle and ended the American League's nine-game winning streak in the Midsummer Classic.
Here are the top 11 moments from tonight's game.
11. Griffey's and Martinez¡¯s first pitches: It wouldn¡¯t be an All-Star Game without a callback to greats of the past. Just after roster introductions, four former Mariners -- Edgar Martinez, Ken Griffey Jr., Dan Wilson and Jay Buhner -- participated in the ceremonial first pitches. Martinez, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019, threw out his first pitch to Wilson, a Mariners catcher from 1994-¡¯05. Griffey, one of the true legends of baseball, fired a first pitch to Buhner, a Mariner from 1988-2001.
10. Yandy starts the scoring: Who better than a member of the AL¡¯s best team to get his squad on the board? That¡¯s what the Rays¡¯ Yandy D¨ªaz did with a solo homer off the Pirates¡¯ Mitch Keller in the second inning. Seattle native Corbin Carroll, playing left field, was mic¡¯d up but could only watch as D¨ªaz¡¯s 102.4 mph drive left the yard to put the AL on top 1-0.
9. All-Stars Stand Up to Cancer: Between the fifth and sixth innings, All-Star players, coaches, umpires, fans and broadcasters stood and held up placards displaying the name of a loved one who has battled cancer to benefit the Stand Up To Cancer research charity. For more information or to find out how you can help, visit StandUpToCancer.org.
8. Doval¡¯s 101.2 mph strikeout: Camilo Doval, a first-time All-Star for the Giants, is one of the most exciting young relievers in the Majors. His electric stuff was on full display in his first ASG appearance when he pitched a scoreless seventh inning. His signature moment was a 101.2 mph fastball that generated a strikeout against hometown Mariner Julio Rodr¨ªguez. At the end of the seventh inning, Doval had the eight fastest pitches of the game (all over 100 mph).
7. Rock-Paper-Scissors! In one of the more light-hearted moments of the ¡®23 All-Star Game, a pair of former teammates played a game of rock-paper-scissors from opposing dugouts. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., winner of the previous night¡¯s HR Derby and a Blue Jays All-Star representative, played the game against Lourdes Gurriel Jr., a D-backs All-Star representative and former teammate of Vlad Jr. in Toronto. It¡¯s unclear who won, but it was clear that both were enjoying this game within the game.
6. Arraez keeps raking
Currently batting .383, the Marlins¡¯ Luis Arraez is chasing the first AL/NL .400 season since Ted Williams in 1941. Arraez showed off his incredible contact ability in his second All-Star Game, going 2-for-2. His second hit was punched through the right side to score J.D. Martinez, pulling the NL team even at 1-1 in the fourth.
5. Gurriel¡¯s near-home run
Shortly after the American League took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on a Bo Bichette sac fly, it looked like the NL tied it back up with a home run from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the top of the seventh inning. What was initially a game-tying line drive home run was, instead, overruled on the replay review as going foul. It wasn¡¯t all bad for Gurriel, though, who reached first base on a soft infield single in his first ASG plate appearance after the replay ruling.
4. Mic¡¯d up moments
- In the bottom of the first inning, two Dodgers -- Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman -- were both mic¡¯d up at the same time. When discussing Shohei Ohtani, who batted second in the inning, Betts mentioned not realizing how fast Ohtani was. Freeman, meanwhile, jokingly criticized Randy Arozarena when he reached first base on a single. Arozarena had just made a great leaping catch in the top of the inning to rob Freeman. When he got to first base, Freeman told him ¡°You can¡¯t take hits away and get hits. You have to pick one.¡±
- The Rangers, who lead the AL West with a 52-39 record at the break, were well represented on the national stage with?six ASG representatives. In the top of the second inning, those same Rangers took the spotlight when Nathan Eovaldi was mic¡¯d up on the mound. Eovaldi, an All-Star in his first year with Texas, was throwing to first-time All-Star Jonah Heim behind the plate. Playing behind Eovaldi were Corey Seager (shortstop), Marcus Semien (second base), Josh Jung (third base) and Adolis Garc¨ªa (right field). It was the first time since the 1951 Dodgers that six teammates were on the field at the same time in an All-Star Game. It was first done by the 1939 Yankees.
- Carroll, a Seattle native, received some of the loudest pregame ovations from a non-Mariners player. He got even more attention when he was mic¡¯d up in his first plate appearance of the game in the second inning. After a quick two-pitch groundout, Carroll stayed on the mic as he made his way to left field. It was undoubtedly a cool moment for the young D-backs star who¡¯s taken the Majors by storm.
- Already a three-time All-Star, Padres star Juan Soto enjoys getting to know All-Stars from both leagues each time he suits up for the Midsummer Classic. But one AL All-Star needed no introduction to Soto. The Padres outfielder said while mic¡¯d up in the sixth inning he¡¯s known Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. since they were teenagers in the Dominican Republic. Soto won the 2022 T-Mobile Home Run Derby; Guerrero followed suit in 2023. ¡°He¡¯s been the same guy ¨C crushing balls all over the place,¡± Soto said of Guerrero. ¡°His power is just unbelievable.¡±
- Mic¡¯d up for the top of the eighth, Julio Rodr¨ªguez said having 2023 All-Star festivities has been ¡°unbelievable.¡± Rodr¨ªguez belted a single-round record 41 home runs in the first round of Monday¡¯s T-Mobile Home Run Derby in front of his home fans. Asked about the Mariners¡¯ chances of a strong second half (Seattle is currently 45-44 and third in the AL West), Rodr¨ªguez was optimistic. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot of baseball,¡± he said. ¡°A lot of things can happen. We¡¯re playing really good ball. I like our chances for now.¡±
3. What a catch: AL outfielder edition: The American League started the game with a pair of highlight-reel plays deep in the outfield. First, it was the Rangers¡¯ Adolis Garc¨ªa battling the shadows in right field to rob the Braves¡¯ Ronald Acu?a Jr. of extra bases at the wall. The very next batter, Freddie Freeman, hit the ball to deep left only for the Rays¡¯ Randy Arozarena to make a leaping snag at the fence. In the fourth inning, Garc¨ªa made an eerily similar catch at the wall, robbing Sean Murphy of a hit while battling the sun.
2. NL snaps long skid: It wasn¡¯t easy, but the NL sealed its first All-Star Game win since 2012, snapping a streak of nine straight victories for the AL. Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel struck out the Guardians¡¯ Jos¨¦ Ram¨ªrez with runners on first and second to end the game and seal a 3-2 win. The AL still leads the all-time series, 47-44-2.
1. Elias D¨ªaz¡¯s go-ahead HR: D¨ªaz, the 32-year-old Rockies catcher, sent a 2-2 splitter from Orioles closer F¨¦lix Bautista into the left-field seats with the Phillies' Nick Castellanos on second base after a leadoff walk and a wild pitch, erasing a 2-1 deficit.
It was the 14th go-ahead HR in the eighth inning or later in ASG history and the first since both Jean Segura and Alex Bregman did it in the ¡®18 All-Star Game. Even more impressive: D¨ªaz was the first player since Hank Blalock in ¡®03 to have a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later in their ASG plate appearance.
D¨ªaz won the Ted Williams MVP Award presented by Chevrolet, the first Rockies player so honored.