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The American League defeated the National League 4-3 in the 2019 MLB All-Star Game in Cleveland on Tuesday. For the seventh year in a row, the NL came out victorious.
What Happened
The American League pitchers had an impressive showing on the mound. They struck out a total of 16 National League batters. Detroit Tigers pitcher Shane Green and Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander both pitched scoreless innings. Most noteworthy, the game’s MVP went to Cleveland Indians pitcher Shane Bieber.
Hometown Hero
Bieber won the MVP in his first All-Star appearance. A 3.45 ERA along with 141 strikeouts this season helped Bieber secure his spot in the Midsummer Classic. He was a late addition to the American League roster. Bieber was added just five days before the game.
Most notably, Bieber is the third player in All-Star Game history to win MVP honors in their home ballpark. The first two being Pedro Martinez at Fenway Park in 1999 and Sandy Alomar Jr. for Cleveland in 1997.
Bieber had some help from the home crowd. He credited them for the help.
Bieber pitched one inning and had three strikeouts.
Scoreboard Mishaps
During the game, there was unusual activity going on with the scoreboard. The USA Today reported that the scoreboard at Cleveland’s Progressive Field had displayed incorrect information. This included misspelled names and even used the wrong player photos.
When Mets outfielder Jeff McNeil went to bat in the eighth inning, he noticed something unusual. The picture on the scoreboard was not his. However, the picture was of McNeil’s teammate, pitcher Jacob deGrom.
Jeff McNeil was not pleased that the scoreboard showed deGrom while he batted. Said that he and his family were excited to see him on the board during an all star game
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) July 10, 2019
Former Gator in the All-Star Game
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso represented the Florida Gators on the game’s biggest stage. Alonso played for UF from 2014-16. The rookie came away with one hit and two RBI in his first All-Star appearance. In addition, Alonso became the first Gator to win the Home Run Derby. He defeated first-year player Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the final round on Monday. Consequently, it’s safe to say Alonso had himself a solid All-Star Break.
https://twitter.com/Mets/status/1148787550846357507
Second Half
After some memorable All-Star moments in Cleveland, the second half of the season is coming up. The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers will play the first game since the break Thursday night. Next year, the All-Star festivities will be held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
