The All-Star Game is always full of memorable moments, and its 93rd edition at T-Mobile Park in Seattle was no exception.
Elias Díaz crushed a pinch-hit two-run home run in his first All-Star Game at-bat, an eighth-inning shot that gave the National League a 3-2 come-from-behind win on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park in Seattle and ended the American League’s nine-game winning streak in the Midsummer Classic.
Here are the top 11 moments from tonight’s game.
11. Griffey’s and Martinez’s first pitches: It wouldn’t be an All-Star Game without a callback to greats of the past. Just after roster introductions, four former Mariners — Edgar Martinez, Ken Griffey Jr., Dan Wilson and Jay Buhner — participated in the ceremonial first pitches. Martinez, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019, threw out his first pitch to Wilson, a Mariners catcher from 1994-’05. Griffey, one of the true legends of baseball, fired a first pitch to Buhner, a Mariner from 1988-2001.
10. Yandy starts the scoring: Who better than a member of the AL’s best team to get his squad on the board? That’s what the Rays’ Yandy Díaz did with a solo homer off the Pirates’ Mitch Keller in the second inning. Seattle native Corbin Carroll, playing left field, was mic’d up but could only watch as Díaz’s 102.4 mph drive left the yard to put the AL on top 1-0.
8. Doval’s 101.2 mph strikeout: Camilo Doval, a first-time All-Star for the Giants, is one of the most exciting young relievers in the Majors. His electric stuff was on full display in his first ASG appearance when he pitched a scoreless seventh inning. His signature moment was a 101.2 mph fastball that generated a strikeout against hometown Mariner Julio Rodríguez. At the end of the seventh inning, Doval had the eight fastest pitches of the game (all over 100 mph).
7. Rock-Paper-Scissors! In one of the more light-hearted moments of the ‘23 All-Star Game, a pair of former teammates played a game of rock-paper-scissors from opposing dugouts. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., winner of the previous night’s HR Derby and a Blue Jays All-Star representative, played the game against Lourdes Gurriel Jr., a D-backs All-Star representative and former teammate of Vlad Jr. in Toronto. It’s unclear who won, but it was clear that both were enjoying this game within the game.
6. Arraez keeps raking
Currently batting .383, the Marlins’ Luis Arraez is chasing the first AL/NL .400 season since Ted Williams in 1941. Arraez showed off his incredible contact ability in his second All-Star Game, going 2-for-2. His second hit was punched through the right side to score J.D. Martinez, pulling the NL team even at 1-1 in the fourth.
5. Gurriel’s near-home run
Shortly after the American League took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on a Bo Bichette sac fly, it looked like the NL tied it back up with a home run from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the top of the seventh inning. What was initially a game-tying line drive home run was, instead, overruled on the replay review as going foul. It wasn’t all bad for Gurriel, though, who reached first base on a soft infield single in his first ASG plate appearance after the replay ruling.
3. What a catch: AL outfielder edition: The American League started the game with a pair of highlight-reel plays deep in the outfield. First, it was the Rangers’ Adolis García battling the shadows in right field to rob the Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. of extra bases at the wall. The very next batter, Freddie Freeman, hit the ball to deep left only for the Rays’ Randy Arozarena to make a leaping snag at the fence. In the fourth inning, García made an eerily similar catch at the wall, robbing Sean Murphy of a hit while battling the sun.
2. NL snaps long skid: It wasn’t easy, but the NL sealed its first All-Star Game win since 2012, snapping a streak of nine straight victories for the AL. Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel struck out the Guardians’ José Ramírez with runners on first and second to end the game and seal a 3-2 win. The AL still leads the all-time series, 47-44-2.
1. Elias Díaz’s go-ahead HR: Díaz, the 32-year-old Rockies catcher, sent a 2-2 splitter from Orioles closer Félix Bautista into the left-field seats with the Phillies’ Nick Castellanos on second base after a leadoff walk and a wild pitch, erasing a 2-1 deficit.
It was the 14th go-ahead HR in the eighth inning or later in ASG history and the first since both Jean Segura and Alex Bregman did it in the ‘18 All-Star Game. Even more impressive: Díaz was the first player since Hank Blalock in ‘03 to have a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later in their ASG plate appearance.