Ohtani throws perfect inning in MLB AllStar Game
Angels’ pitcher throws a perfect first inning
DENVER — American League starting pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani led off the All-Star Game with a grounder to second.
The Los Angeles Angels standout hit a roller to Pittsburgh’s Adam Frazier off Washington starter Max Scherzer to get things under way at Coors Field on an 84-degree night.
Ohtani is the first player in major league history to make the All-Star Game as a pitcher and position player. He leads the league with 33 homers.
It’s been a busy two days for the 27-year-old from Japan. Ohtani also participated in the Home Run Derby the night before, where he lost in the first round.
Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in another run and the American League scored twice in the fifth inning to take a 4-1 lead in the All-Star Game at cavernous Coors Field.
The AL led 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning as of press time.
Guerrero, who hit a 468-foot solo homer in the third inning, added a run-scoring groundout to second base to make it 3-0 in the top of the fifth.
Boston’s Xander Bogaerts added a run-scoring single.
Both runs came off Miami lefty Trevor Rogers but they were unearned because of an error on Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford.
The NL got on the board in the bottom half when Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto went deep off left-hander Gregory Soto. Realmuto is the first Philadelphia player to homer in the All-Star Game since Mike Schmidt in 1981.
Ohtani followed up his groundout to start the All-Star Game with a perfect inning on the mound.
The first player in major league history to make an All-Star Game as a pitcher and position player led off with a roller to second base in a 1-2-3
top half of the first inning.
The AL’s designated hitter and starting pitcher then took the mound for the bottom half and retired leadoff hitter Fernando Tatis Jr. on a flyout to left, Max Muncy on a groundball to second and Nolan Arenado on a groundout to short.
Six up and six down, and Ohtani had a hand in four of the outs.
Arenado received a standing ovation and waved to fans on his way into the batter’s box. The longtime Rockie was traded to St. Louis over the offseason.
Major League Baseball paid tribute to the late Hank Aaron just before the start of the All-Star Game.
Aaron died on Jan. 22 at age 86. Billye, the wife of the record 25-time All-Star, was accompanied to home plate by the Braves’ Freddie Freeman and the Yankees’ Aaron Judge.
Just before the national anthems, she was presented a Braves’ jersey in the 1974 style used when Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s career home run record, a shirt signed by all All-Stars. She also was given a portrait of Aaron created by Colorado-based artist Kaylee Bender.
A video tribute to Aaron included Willie Mays doffing his cap.
Peyton Manning still has some zip in his right arm. He’s lost some accuracy in retirement, though.
The former Denver Broncos quarterback bounced the ceremonial first pitch before the All-Star Game. Rockies great Todd Helton smiled as he stood near the mound.
Rockies pitcher German Márquez was behind the plate for the throw and made a sensational save to keep Manning’s toss from going down as a wild pitch.
Put launch angles and wins above replacement aside for a moment: the All-Star Game at Coors Field features a throwback to the days of Babe Ruth.
For the first time since the inaugural All-Star Game in 1933, the National League players aren’t wearing their own team’s jersey.
The American Leaguers are wearing AL uniforms for the first time ever at an AllStar Game.
The AL is wearing blue getups and the NL white. Each player has a three-letter abbreviation for his team in red lettering down the left side, partially obscured by his team’s logo.