ARLINGTON -- Starting an All-Star Game for the first time was only the second-biggest milestone for Corbin Burnes this week. The Orioles¡¯ ace arrived in Arlington around 11 a.m. CT on Tuesday, and shortly after, he was proud to share news from back home in Phoenix.

Burnes can now tell his newborn twin daughters apart.

¡°The first couple days, obviously, you¡¯re with them, you don¡¯t really know, and then, over the phone through FaceTime, it¡¯s hard to tell,¡± Burnes said of Charlotte and Harper, born June 28. ¡°My wife liked playing the guessing game and put pictures up, and I would have no clue. Getting to see them and getting to hold them and be around them, I can definitely tell who¡¯s who now. That was a little bit of reassurance on my part that I could tell my daughters apart.¡±

While Burnes can now differentiate his daughters, he still chooses to not put names to the faces that step into the batter¡¯s box to face him. That focused approach is a big reason why the 29-year-old with four consecutive All-Star appearances is so dominant. The right-hander puts in his prep work and aggressively attacks every hitter, no matter who they might be.

The star-studded competition at the top of the National League lineup was a bit tricky to navigate on Tuesday, but Burnes worked a scoreless first inning to open the American League's 5-3 victory in the 2024 edition of the Midsummer Classic at Globe Life Field. It was only the second time Burnes has pitched in an All-Star Game -- he allowed two runs in two innings in ¡®21 as a Brewer.

Burnes first got the D-backs¡¯ Ketel Marte to ground out to first base before walking the Dodgers¡¯ Shohei Ohtani on six pitches. After the Phillies¡¯ Trea Turner flied out to center field on the first pitch he saw, Turner¡¯s Philadelphia teammate Bryce Harper slapped a double the opposite way to left, giving the NL runners on second and third with two outs.

However, Burnes escaped the jam by getting the Brewers catcher William Contreras, his batterymate in Milwaukee in 2023, to ground out back to the mound. The two shared an exchange near first base after the inning, with Burnes hugging Contreras from behind.

¡°I¡¯m glad I got him out. He¡¯s probably not too happy about it,¡± Burnes said with a grin. ¡°But it¡¯s always good to face old teammates, and even better to get them out.¡±

A few days earlier, Burnes learned he would be starting the marquee event via a phone call from Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez. Then, Burnes chatted with Rangers manager Bruce Bochy (the AL skipper) and got texts from O¡¯s manager Brandon Hyde and pitching coach Drew French.

¡°There¡¯s very few people that have gotten to start All-Star Games for the length that the All-Star Game¡¯s been around,¡± Burnes said. ¡°To join that group is special, and obviously, there¡¯s some pretty cool names that have been able to do it. Getting that opportunity to do that was awesome.¡±

Even if Burnes hadn¡¯t been named the AL starter, he was still planning on coming to the All-Star Game at the urging of his wife, Brooke. He turned the excursion into a brief business trip -- he showed up, walked the red carpet alone, pitched in the game and then headed home.

On Monday, Burnes was with his wife and daughters for checkups at the doctor¡¯s office. On Tuesday, he was tasked with pitching in a big game -- an exhibition one, but still an exhilarating one due to the sellout crowd and national spotlight.

¡°Whether it¡¯s a Spring Training start, an All-Star Game, a postseason start, my routine once I get going is pretty much the same,¡± Burnes said. ¡°It¡¯s pretty easy for me to flip a switch.¡±

After his rapid All-Star experience, Burnes is returning home to get a few more days of family time before returning to Arlington, where the Orioles open the second half of the season Friday. He¡¯ll aim to build upon his strong first half in his first season with the team, as he recorded a 2.43 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP over 19 starts before the break.

The All-Star Game had quite a bit of Baltimore flavor early, with Burnes throwing to teammate Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson starting at shortstop. Infielder Jordan Westburg and outfielder Anthony Santander cheered on from the bench as AL reserves.

¡°Fun to see our guys in the lineup alongside some of the names that I¡¯ve been throwing against this year -- the [Aaron] Judges and the [Juan] Sotos,¡± Burnes said. ¡°To see Gunnar and Adley right up there with those guys is pretty cool, and it¡¯s a testament to the work they¡¯ve put in to get to this point. These guys are becoming as big of household names as Judge and Soto are.¡±

"It was a lot of fun, light-hearted," Rutschman said of catching Burnes. "Just felt right at home."

As it turns out, Burnes¡¯ wife was right -- he did have a good time and was happy to be here.

¡°Family to me is everything,¡± Burnes said. ¡°So even just getting away from them for like 12 hours is tough for me. But I¡¯m glad I came, it¡¯s a great experience. I guess she¡¯s pretty smart, so I guess I better listen to my wife when she says something like that.¡±