Ohtani, I've solved one! First home run explosion in the All-Star Game, MVP wins come-from-behind two-run shot Jaren Duran...NL 3-5 AL
Jul 17, 2024
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At the 94th All-Star Game held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on the 17th (Korea Standard Time), Ohtani played an active role with one hit, three RBIs, one run and one walk in two at-bats, including a home run.
Despite Ohtani's first home run shot with 39,343 fans gathered, the National League (NL) failed to keep its lead and suffered a 3-5 upset. The American League (AL) continued to dominate the NL with 48 wins, 44 losses and two draws in the All-Star Game. Last year, the NL won 3-2, breaking the chain of nine consecutive losses suffered by the AL.
Ohtani played in the All-Star Game through fan voting for the fourth consecutive year since 2021, when he was with the Los Angeles Angels. In this season when he moved to the NL, he was listed in the starting lineup as the second designated hitter.
Ohtani walked to load the bases in his first at-bat. AL right-hander Corbin Burns (Baltimore) continued his careful pitching of corner work and picked it out with a ball when he threw a 96-mile cutter outside the sixth pitch in the full count. After Trey Turner (Philadelphia) stepped down with a fly to center field, Bryce Harper (Philadelphia) hit a double falling to the left to get the second and third base opportunities, but William Contreras (Miladelphia) failed to score due to a pitcher ground ball.
Ohtani's home run hit in the top of the third inning when the 0-0 balance continued. Leading Jurickson Profar (San Diego)'s right-handed hit and Ketel Marte (Arizona)'s second baseman error on base provided a chance for the first and second bases with no outs.
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Ohtani's home run in the All-Star Game came in four games and eight at-bats since his first participation in 2021. Until last year, he had one hit and two walks in four at-bats in three games.
Ohtani struck out swinging by closer Mason Miller (Oakland), who appeared like a comet this year, in his third at-bat after one loss in the fifth inning when the score was 3-3. At the ball count of 1B2S, he missed the bat on the slider on his body for the fourth time.
Ohtani was replaced by pinch-hitter Marcel Ozuna with two outs and runners on first and second in the top of the seventh inning, trailing 3-5. Ojuna grounded out to shortstop and failed to take advantage of his chance. As a result, Ohtani recorded two hits in six at-bats (0.333), one home run, three RBIs, one run, three walks, and an OPS of 1.389 in four games of the All-Star Game.
Aaron Judge (Yankees), the home run king who had high expectations for his showdown with Ohtani, played in the AL No. 4 center field and was replaced after hitting no hits in two at-bats. Judge grounded out to third base with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, and in the third inning with a 3-2 lead, he hit another ground ball to third base with one out and a second base chance.
Judge was surprised by shaking his head with right fielder Juan Soto when Ohtani's home run hit in the third inning while watching the center field defense.
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NL took the lead with Ohtani's first three-run home run in the top of the third inning, but AL scored three points in the bottom of the third inning to bring the game to square one.
Juan Soto (Yankees) hit a double flowing to the right-center with one out and runners on the second and third bases against NL third pitcher Logan Webb (San Francisco), leadoff Marcus Simien (Texas) of the Cleveland Indians' walk, and Gunner Henderson (Baltimore)'s ground ball to the first base, bringing in both runners. David Fry of Cleveland hit a left-handed hit to tie the game 3-3.
The AL, which received momentum, succeeded in turning the tables in the fifth inning. After two outs, Anthony Santander (Baltimore) made a right-handed hit to create an opportunity. Jaren Duran (Boston) then rolled up the splitter in the middle of the NL's fifth pitcher Hunter Green (Cincinnati) and connected it to a two-run shot that crossed the right-center fence, turning the tide 5-3.
NL then failed to launch such an attack and knelt down as it was. The only attack on the day was that Ohtani scored three points with a home run. In the end, Duran was named MVP of the All-Star Game.
jhno@sportschosun.com
