And it has sports’ best opening act, the Home Run Derby the day before. Miami is the host next year, where Giancarlo Stanton presumably will defend his Home Run Derby championship.
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That kind of really set the tone.
Eric Hosmer had a night to remember in San Diego. This is America’s pastime.
Hosmer was named the game’s MVP, a distinction that comes with some cool hardware and a choice of Chevy vehicles.
“That’s why baseball is insane”, Perez said. Of course, Wrigley hasn’t exactly helped them in the past, like in the 2003 NLCS when they lost Games 6 and 7 at home. Singles, doubles, maybe a triple or two.
Yes, lots of feel-good moments before the real game. “I don’t know who it is going to be but we wanted to bring it back to the American League”.
The team with home field has won the World Series six of the last seven times and 24 of the past 30. Do you remember that?
Hosmer finished two-for-three with two RBIs. Yost milked them all to yet another victory. Sure, maybe a few of the AL and NL executives took the game seriously, but it was the game itself that was important, not the result. Only the one run scored off the Blue Jays pitcher, and Jose Quintana, Kelvin Herrera and Dellin Betances built a scoreless bridge to the eighth inning. They’re both headed for the best offensive seasons of their careers. This is my favorite Royal. The 40-year-old Red Sox DH batted cleanup for the AL and went 0-for-1 with a walk, after which he was pulled for a pinch runner (although giving that designation to Edwin Encarnacion seems a little strange). Ties the game at 1-1. Two batters later, Sal steps to the plate with a runner on. He crushes a two-run homer. And on this night, it was the American League that reaped the benefits, not just the long-suffering citizens of Kansas City. Meanwhile, intrigue in the game itself has been diluted by interleague play. But, hey, Hoz wasn’t done. Hosmer also had an RBI single in the third.
Royals win! Royals win!
“I would have loved to be able to get them out, but I just left two pitches up”, Cueto said through a translator.
The American League may have won 4-2, but both sides had some memorable moments. I don’t want to talk about it.
The Padres other representative, Drew Pomeranz, was the third of nine National League pitchers, allowing one hit in the fourth inning.
Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy has had to put together All-Star rosters three times since 2010.
Collins made history with the first replay review in All-Star history, getting a fifth-inning call overturned after Daniel Murphy was called out at first base. Last one to do that for the Royals? Perez looked up in mid-interview and lurched toward his All-Star co-star, to deliver a high-five and a hug, saying: “What’s up, my MVP?” He was simply incredible.
But in their own way, Hosmer and Perez have become the faces of this generation of Royals, much the same way that Papi and Manny were the faces of the curse-busting Red Sox. Bo Jackson was never the best outfielder ever. Referees swallowing the whistle for the final period and overtime of playoff games in the National Hockey League is yet another. There was a delay to begin the sixth inning in which fans stood up to cancer by holding placards with names of those they know have battled the disease as Rachel Platten sang her top 10 single “Fight Song”.
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It reminds me of a joke at the time.
