This years MLB All-Star Game wasn’t quite the action-packed slugfest that most fans would hope for, especially following the stellar Home Run Derby on Monday night. Going into the top of the 10th inning on Tuesday, both sides were deadlocked at 1-1 before Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Canó hit a go-ahead home run over the right field fence. The American League would go on to win by that score, 2-1.
In what was a dominant night for pitching, Latino hitters provided the few sparks on the night, accouting for all the runs batted in during the game. In addition to Canó, Dominican pelotero Miguel Sanó of the Minnesota Twins and Puerto Rican firecracker Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals also drove runners home during the low-scoring affair.
American League starting pitcher Chris Sale struck out two and allowed three hits over the first two scoreless innings. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Sale joined the elite company of Roger Clemens in 1986 and Pedro Martinez in 1999 as the only Boston Red Sox players to start an All-Star Game and throw two scoreless innings.
In the top of the fith, Washington Nationals bad boy Bryce Harper had as many ups and downs as you can in one inning: first, he robbed Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez of a base hit, before failing to get to a shallow fly ball hit by Sanó, which allowed Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop to score and give the AL a 1-0 lead. They didn’t stay in control for long though, as Yadier Molina blasted a solo shot to right-center in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The game stayed tied until the 10th when Canó went deep on Chicago Cubs closer Wade Davis, sealing up both the MVP award and Corvette that goes with it. According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Canó’s blast was the first extra-inning home run in the Midsummer Classic since 1967.
This game wasn’t all drama and pitching, however: Seattle Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz stopped his at-bat in the sixth inning to ask Molina to take a picture of him and home plate umpire Joe West.
On that humorous note, here are the best tweets reacting to Canó’s game-winning blast, including one from the man himself.
https://twitter.com/jimmy2toes_/status/884929794856583170
https://twitter.com/kiidfreshmusic/status/884990365484408834