NL rides late comeback to 1st All-Star Game win since 2012
The National League is finally back on top.
Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Diaz crushed the game-winning, two-run homer off Baltimore Orioles reliever Felix Bautista in the eighth inning to give the NL All-Stars a 3-2 win over the American League at the 93rd Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Seattle.
The AL made things interesting in the ninth when Kyle Tucker and hometown favorite Julio Rodriguez drew consecutive walks to put the tying and winning runs on base. But the Philadelphia Phillies' Craig Kimbrel finally shut the door by striking out Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez to seal the victory.
The Senior Circuit reigns supreme. #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/SJtFHTH7VJ
— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2023
It's the Senior Circuit's first All-Star Game win since 2012 and just their fourth in the last 26 years.
San Francisco Giants reliever Camilo Doval earned the victory while Bautista took the loss for the AL. Kimbrel earned an All-Star save for the first time in his career to go along with the win he collected representing the Junior Circuit in 2017. Diaz claimed MVP honors thanks to his offensive heroics.
The low-scoring but tense game featured plenty of defensive highlights. AL starting outfielders Adolis Garcia and Randy Arozarena thrilled the crowd with back-to-back highlight-reel catches to open the game, robbing Ronald Acuna Jr. and Freddie Freeman of extra-base hits.
AL first baseman Yandy Diaz got the scoring started with a solo home run in the second inning off Mitch Keller. The NL squared things at one on a Luis Arraez RBI single in the fourth.
Arraez, who's flirted with a .400 average for much of this season, and NL DH J.D. Martinez both finished their All-Star days two-for-two. Bo Bichette also added an RBI for the AL via a sacrifice fly.
Starting pitchers Gerrit Cole and Zac Gallen each pitched the first inning.