Even as well-represented as they were Tuesday at the All-Star Game, the Cubs themselves couldn’t successfully influence the outcome beyond Kris Bryant’s solo home run. Anthony Rizzo and a lot of Cubs take on David Ortiz and a bunch of Red Sox, and the league that wins gets home-field advantage in the World Series. The only other team to do so was the 1963 Cardinals. The way so many players like Bryant and Jake Arrieta, or Sale and Jose Quintana, involve their dads and kids remind us how many households still revolve around the game, a pastime that isn’t just America’s, and all the relationships baseball enhances. And as long as we’re being silly about this, imagine if a certain left-handed slugger is ready for batting-only action in late October. But Addison Russell, who went 0-for-2, grounded into a force play to end that threat. After planting the seed with Sale, Mike Bryant gave his son some advice.
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He has pitched 114 1/3 innings thus far this season, and manager Joe Maddon, whose team has a seven-game lead in the NL Central, is aiming to have his ace fresh for October.
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.
And everyone else’s all-star games haven’t fared much better (MLB’s version still gets the most total viewers out of the four major USA sports, though just barely).
To start, we knew that first time All-Star Dexter Fowler was not going to play in the game due to a hamstring injury.
Bryant is 0 for 6 with six strikeouts against Sale in the regular season.
Trevor Hoffman delivered the game ball to home plate by strolling in from the bullpen to the blaring of “Hells Bells”, causing the hometown crowd to erupt in an emotional salute to one of the most popular Padres in franchise history and its all-time saves leader.
“Obviously I should listen to my dad”, Bryant said. The Washington second baseman leads the majors in hitting at.348 – he’s pounded the Mets, who let him go last winter.
Those are the reasons that I watch the All Star game. “Everybody is coming in throwing 98, 100, and then you got somebody coming in throwing 75, and I’ll drop it down to 60”.
“He put the curse on me”, the pitcher said, smiling.
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At least not the guys who matter most.
