The American League team that makes it to the World Series will have home field advantage.
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Hosmer went 2-for-2 with a solo home run off former teammate Johnny Cueto in the 2nd inning and was named the MVP, while fellow Royal Perez added a two-run shot later in the inning off his former teammate.
After AL starter Chris Sale gave up a homer to Chicago crosstown rival Kris Bryant, the AL’s pitching staff largely shut down the NL.
It was all about the Kansas City Royals and the American League at Tuesday’s 2016 MLB All-Star Game at Petco Park in San Diego. The AL roster came onto the field when Ortiz left the game for a pinch-runner, embracing and congratulating him. “Things are getting harder”, he said after the game. Despite that, there were three home runs.
Cole Hamels continued the host city story in the top of the third when the San Diego native struck out Bryant with the tying runs at second and third with two outs. The home team has gone 8-5 in Game 1 of the World Series since 2003, and only one team that did not win Game 1 either at home or on the road has won the World Series: the 2009 Yankees. As he did with his home run in the previous inning, Hosmer hit the ball hard to the opposite field, this time blasting a one-hopper 110 miles per hour at NL third baseman Bryant.
It’s why, despite World Series viewership numbers that have drifted below 15 million per game – or less than the average for the NBA Finals – fans and networks keep shelling out for Major League Baseball games.
The National League stranded 10 runners and left the bases loaded in the eighth when Houston right-hander Will Harris threw a full-count, called third strike past pinch-hitter Aldemys Diaz of the St. Louis Cardinals. “I looked at him and I was like, ‘what happened?'” The American League has won 22 of the last 28 All-Star decisions and hasn’t been even with the NL since 1971.
Herrera was selected to the All-Star Game in Cincinnati last season, but he didn’t get the opportunity to pitch. “I was going to do anything I could do to get him on this team this year”.
Another emotional moment came when Major League Baseball announced that the AL and NL batting title trophies will be renamed after two Hall of Famers and all-time great batters: the AL award will be named for Rod Carew, while the NL hardware will be dedicated to Mr. Padre, Tony Gwynn.
They became just the second pair of team-mates to hit two home runs in the same inning since Steve Garvey and Jim Wynn of the Los Angeles Dodgers did it in 1975.
“I would have loved to have that seventh game a year ago in San Francisco”, manager Dusty Baker said in 2003, thinking back to when his Giants lost Game 7 at Anaheim the previous fall.
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“I think a lot of us were looking first pitch”, said Bryant, who played college ball for the University of San Diego. Jose Ferenandez entered and allowed the AL’s fourth run, but the National League cruised from that point. Reasonable minds can debate whether or not a single July game should determine something so important (most seem to agree it shouldn’t), but that’s the deal once again this season. “I bet he’s going to remember this and so is everybody else in this clubhouse”. In the fourth inning, Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna pulled the NL within two runs with a RBI single of his own.
