AL TOPS NL IN ALL-STAR GAME, MANOAH STRIKES OUT THREE
MLB / Baseball
Written by Gus Cousins
For the ninth consecutive time, the American League has taken down the National League in MLB’s All-Star Game with a 3-2 win.
Source (Background photos): Getty Images
In a game that showcased both leagues’ dominant pitching, all it took was two swings of the bat off of Los Angeles’ own Tony Gonsolin to seal the deal for the AL side. A two-run shot by Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton followed by a solo blast by Minnesota’s Byron Buxton capped the scoring, with neither team amounting any offence after the fourth inning. Dodgers’ Mookie Betts singled in a run in the bottom of the first, with Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt smoking a solo home run later in the inning. Both sides combined for only thirteen hits in the contest.
On the Blue Jays side of things, Vlad and Kirk both started the game for the AL and had two ABs - both went 0-2. Reserve IF Santiago Espinal subbed in for Guardians’ Andres Gimenez and went 0-1 with a walk, while George Springer - originally slated to be at the game - opted out of the festivities in favour of rest. Reliever Jordan Romano, a last-second addition to the AL Roster, was unfortunately unused - a questionable-at-best decision by the AL’s skipper Dusty Baker. Alek Manoah looked dominant in his one inning of work, striking out Braves’ William Contreras and Ronald Acuna Jr., as well as Giants’ Joc Pederson - the only other hitter he faced was Mets’ Jeff McNeil, who was hit by a Manoah slider.
During Manoah’s one inning of work, he spoke to Fox’s Joe Davis and John Smoltz on the broadcast while pitching. Unlike regular season games, this has often been the case during All-Star Games and Spring matchups in an effort to broaden the “viewing experience”. The return has been mixed reviews for the most part, but Manoah’s in-game chatting was certainly one of the highlights:
Giancarlo Stanton took home the All-Star Game MVP, with his two-run blast being the largest splash of offense throughout. Had Alek Manoah not drilled Jeff McNeil, perhaps it would have been two straight years of Blue Jays winning the award - in 2021, Vlad Guerrero Jr. won MVP honours.
Following the All-Star Game events, news broke that Toronto is considering making a bid for the 2027 MLB All-Star Event in a revamped Rogers Centre. Current expectations are that upgrades and construction are to be completed in 2024, giving plenty of time for any other stadium adjustments that must be made. The last time Toronto held the mid-year classic was in 1991, one year prior to the Jays’ back-t0-back World Series wins.
69 games remain in Toronto’s playoff push, a nice reminder that the unofficial second half of the season allows little-to-no room for error. The Jays will face Boston in a three-game series at Fenway starting this Friday, a pivotal matchup in which the Red Sox sit only two games back of Toronto for the final AL Wild Card.