Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the National League during the 94th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Globe Life Field on July 16, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
OAN Staff James Meyers 11:59 AM – Wednesday, July 17, 2024
The 94th MLB All-Star Game was played on Tuesday night from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The American League continued its domination of the National League winning 5-3 in comeback fashion.
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Last year’s mid-summer classic saw the National League ending a nine-year All-Star Game losing streak, winning its first game since 2012 at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium.
First-time All-Star and Boston Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran, helped complete the comeback victory hitting a two-run homer off Cincinnati Reds reliever Hunter Greene.
Hitting the long ball made Duran the first Red Sox player since J.D. Drew in 2008 and the fifth in team history to earn the MVP award for the game.
Twenty pitchers were used in total, but it was Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Shohei Ohtani who opened the scoring with a 400-foot, three-run home run off another Red Sox all-star Tanner Houck in the third inning. The home run by Ohtani was the first home run by a Dodger since Mike Piazza in 1996.
“In general, I haven’t really hit well during the All-Star Game, so I’m just relieved that I put a good ball in play,” Ohtani said. “I was really just focused on having a regular at-bat, as if I was in the regular season.”
However, the AL answered quickly with three runs to tie the game in the third inning. New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto hit a two-run double, and Cleveland Guardians designated hitter David Fry hit a game-tying RBI single.
That ultimately led to Duran’s winning home run in the fifth that won it for the AL.
National League starter Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates was the talk of the All-Star game. He did not have any strikeouts but did face four batters without giving up any runs. He faced left fielder Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians, Baltimore Orioles AL MVP candidate Gunnar Henderson, then Soto was able to force a walk, which led to Skenes facing another Yankee in Aaron Judge, forcing him to ground out and end the inning.
“It was an unbelievable experience,” said Soto, who appeared in his fourth All-Star game. “It’s once in a [life]time that you get the chance to go [to the All-Star Game] for a first time with one of the best players in the league.”
“Definitely after two strikes, I was trying to work the at-bat because I wanted to make sure he faced him, too,” said Soto. “Just looked at him and said: ‘Hey, come on, it’s all you.’ ”
Ultimately, it was about Duran, who in the fifth inning smashed a splitter over the plate from Greene 413 feet and over the wall in right-center field to put the AL on top.
Duran was a seventh-round pick in 2018, who has dealt with multiple injuries and is currently batting .284 with an .820 OPS, elite defense and premier baserunning in 95 games. The Long Beach State product leads the show with 10 triples and the American League with 27 doubles.
“I’m just very thankful,” Duran said. “It’s hard to put into words. It won’t hit me until I try to go to sleep tonight. Who knows if I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”
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