“I don’t know how he caught the ball”. It was a home run, whatever.
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Bryant smashed the first pitch he saw – a 96 miles per hour fastball – into the first deck of seat in left field for the first Cubs hit and RBI in an All-Star game since Alfonso Soriano homered in the 9th inning of the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco.
Hosmer, the first Kansas City player to homer in an All-Star Game since Bo Jackson in 1989, made it 4-1 in the third against Fernandez with a one-hopper off Bryant’s left arm that bounced into left field for an RBI single.
“He probably did more at San Diego State than I did for USD”, Bryant said.
“Wherever you go in the country, there’s fans there”, reigning NL Cy Young Award victor Jake Arrieta said about his team. Russell answered questions from reporters on Monday, including one inquiring about the criticism he is getting for being a starter in the All-Star Game, despite having a.237 batting average. “I just want to go out there and play and have some fun”.
We saw it again Tuesday night at Petco Park when the 87th edition of the All-Star Game was contested, when a pristine field suggested that if the Padres had the sort of talent in their lineup that obviously exists within their grounds crew, San Diego would win a heck of a lot more games.
He hit 43 homers the next year as Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year, 26 last year as the NL Rookie of the Year and entered the All-Star break this year with 25, tops in the National League. “Everybody wants to do good”.
It’s not like the NBA in that participants actually try to make defensive plays, not like the NHL in that it doesn’t need gimmicks and payouts to generate interest, not like the NFL in that it doesn’t go soft for fear of guys getting hurt. “I think that’s just kind of what we were thinking up there”. “To start off with my first All-Star hit being a home run is special”.
Sale threw only nine pitches and allowed a run and a hit.
Esteban Loaiza (2003), Early Wynn (1959) and Billy Pierce (1953, 1955 and 1956) are the other White Sox to have started an All-Star Game. “Every warm-up pitch, introductions, everything. It’s generational. I’m trying to soak it in and chalk it up as a valuable experience”.
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“The increase in the number of home runs takes place against a very, very different backdrop”, Manfred said Tuesday. “But the experience in itself was worth every last minute”.
