PHILADELPHIA — The American League’s pitching staff dominated during Tuesday’s All-Star Game, with 11 hurlers combining for 15 strikeouts in a 4-0 victory at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.
The A.L. took its 18th win in the past 23 All-Star Games and increased its overall record to 49-45-2 in the Midsummer Classic.
It was the fourth time the A.L. has registered a shutout in All-Star play and was the 10th in the game’s history, ESPN reported. It was also the first time a team had been held scoreless in an All-Star Game since 2013, according to The Associated Press. The A.L. also won that game, prevailing 2-0 at New York’s Citi Field.
On Tuesday, game MVP Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees hit a two-run single and teammate Ben Rice added an RBI single as the A.L. took a 3-0 lead. It was the first time since 1962 that two Yankees had an RBI in an All-Star Game, according to ESPN.
Miguel Vargas of the Chicago White Sox added an eighth-inning home run off the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Justin Wrobleski.
But pitching was the key, and A.L. starter Dylan Cease set the tone early.
The Toronto Blue Jays pitcher walked one batter, but struck out Kyle Schwarber, Juan Soto and CJ Abrams in the first inning.
He became just the seventh pitcher to strike out three in the first inning of an All-Star Game, The Associated Press reported.
He joins Carl Hubbell (1934), Warren Spahn (1949), Jim Palmer (1977), Dave Stieb (1983), Pedro Martinez (1999) and Brad Penny (2006).
“That’s the game now,” Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said, according to The Athletic. “Guys’ stuff is unbelievable.
“I think the bullpen guys kind fed off of it,” said Schneider, who managed the A.L. squad. “They were all excited coming off the mound. It speaks volumes to how good the pitching is, for sure.”
Parker Messick, Michael Wacha, Joe Ryan, Nick Martinez, Cade Smith, Drew Rasmussen, Jacob Latz, Louis Varland, Aroldis Chapman and Bryan Baker finished up for the A.L.
The 15 whiffs were second-highest for a nine-inning All-Star Game. The A.L. squad recorded 16 in the 2019 contest.
The game record, regardless of innings, is 17 -- set in 1967 by the N.L. and equaled by both leagues in the 2008 contest, according to MLB.com. Each of those games went 15 innings.
“I always want to strike guys out,” said Cease, who leads the A.L. in strikeouts this year with 148. “I just wanted to throw strikes and not walk guys.”
The A.L. had a scare in the third inning, when St. Louis Cardinals reliever Riley O’Brien hit Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero in the hand with a 98.2 mph fastball, the sports news outlet reported.
He left the ballpark with a Phillies doctor for X-rays.
“I honestly thought something was broken,” Caminero said.
The X-rays came back negative, according to The Athletic.
The game was a complete reversal from last year’s game, which was tied 6-6 after nine innings and went to a tiebreaker swing-off for the first time in history, according to Sports Illustrated. Schwarber won it for the N.L.