Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. hit a long homerun and drove in two runs on Tuesday night, leading the American League to a 5-2 win over the National League in the 91st MLB All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. It is the eighth straight win for the A.L. in the Midsummer Classic.
The main attraction of the festivities was MVP favorite and Los Angeles Angels OF/DH/Pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who also was the top seed in the homerun derby on Monday night that was ultimately won by Pete Alonso from the NY Mets. Ohtani pitched 1.0 perfect inning as the starter for the American League on the mound, but went 0-2 at the plate. Marcus Semien put the A.L. up 1-0 with an infield single in the top of the first, before his teammate Guerrero Jr. hit a 468 foot solo homerun to left center field in the third inning. He added another RBI on a groundout in the fifth. Boston Red Sox participants Xander Bogaerts (2-3, RBI) and Rafael Devers (1-2) also saw some time. JD Martinez went 0-2, while Nathan Eovaldi (0 runs, 1 hit) and Matt Barnes (0 runs, 2 hits, 1 walk) each pitched 1.0 inning. Bogaerts was the only hitter in the game with multiple hits (single, double). J.T. Realmuto (NL) and Mike Zunino (AL) also added a solo homerun each. Guerrero Jr. was named the MVP, becoming the youngest player to ever win that award. Only three father/son combos have ever hit homeruns in All-Star game history- The Griffeys, the Bonds, and now the Guerreros.
The second half of the MLB season officially begins Thursday night when the Red Sox visit the NY Yankees for the first of a four game series.
