Jarren Duran named All-Star Game MVP after HR fuels AL win

ARLINGTON, Texas – On the night when Major League Baseball pitching phenom Paul Skenes stepped to the rubber for a historic All-Star Game start, and the game’s most talented global superstar Shohei Ohtani blasted a home run for the National League Done, the 27-year-old former top prospect was enjoying a breakout season, which was the difference in the 2024 All-Star Game on Tuesday.

Boston Red Sox center fielder Jaren Duran, who became an All-Star for the first time in his second season as an everyday player, hits a two-run home run off Cincinnati Reds fireballer Hunter Greene to lead the American League at Globe Life Field. Gave victory 5-3. ,

With the blast, Duran became the first Red Sox player since J.D. Drew in 2008 and the fifth player in franchise history to earn the game’s MVP award – named after Ted Williams, a 19-time All-Star. and was the unanimous greatest player in Red Sox history. ,

“It’s an honor,” Duran said. “Who else would I like to try to follow in his footsteps?”

Duran finalized the necessary comeback when Ohtani hit a 400-foot, three-run home run against Red Sox right-hander Tanner Hawk to open the scoring in the third inning. It was the first career All-Star Game home run by a Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter and the second by a Dodgers player since Mike Piazza in 1996. Ichiro Suzuki’s inside-the-park home run in 2007 was the only home run by a Japanese-born player. Players in All-Star Game history.

Ohtani, who drew a walk in his first plate appearance, went 1-for-4 with two walks in his fourth career All-Star Game on Tuesday.

Ohtani said, “Generally, I don’t hit really well during the All-Star Game, so I’m relieved that I hit the ball well.” “I was really just focusing on batting regular like I was in the regular season.”

Hawk was the first Red Sox pitcher to give up an All-Star Game home run since Roger Clemens in 1991. The National League did not score again in the shortest All-Star Game at 2 hours, 28 minutes. –Since 1988.

The quick exhibition started with a dose of drama.

Juan Soto’s extraordinary skill, the trait that has put him on the path to first-ballot Hall of Fame status, is an uncanny ability to reach base. Never has the baseball world, in unison, wanted to see a New York Yankees right fielder do more work than in Tuesday’s first inning.

The pressure began to mount on Monday when American League All-Star team manager Bruce Bochy announced a lineup that surprisingly featured the Yankees center fielder, and the leading American League MVP candidate, Aaron Judge, batting fourth.

This meant that Judge was not guaranteed to face the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rookie sensation Skane, who was scheduled for a strict one-innings limit. Someone has to get on base to cause a confrontation. When the Skanes retired the first two batters in the American League, someone had to be Soto, or the matchup everyone wanted to see wasn’t happening.

Soto, in typical Soto fashion, completed the task by throwing a seven-pitch walk to please the crowd.

“I was trying to take it deep, brother,” said Soto, a four-time All-Star who made his first start Tuesday. “But after the two strikes I was trying to work on the batting because I wanted to make sure he faced that too, so I got the job done.”

However, the play was fleeting: Judge was attacked by Skenes’ first pitch, a 100 mph fastball, and grounded out on a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

“That was fun,” said Judge, a six-time All-Star. “That first inning was fun. To get a chance to hit behind (Soto), it was great to see him do his thing against a young stud in the NL right now.”

Skenes failed to record a strikeout, but he threw five of his 16 pitches at least 100 mph, struck out four – all on his malfunctioning sprinkler – and silenced any remaining critics who Believed he was not fit to start the game. 11 major league starts of his career.

Skenes, one of 37 first-time All-Stars, was the first rookie to make an exhibition start since Hideo Nomo also debuted for the National League in 1995 at the Rangers’ old home ballpark across the street.

Nomo was a 26-year-old star and had spent several years in Japan as a professional player for the Dodgers, the country’s second-largest market. Skenes, at just 22, is barely a year removed from becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft and starring for a small-market club.

“To be honest, I wish I had a few more pitches (to pitch on the national stage) today,” said Skenes, who owns a 1.90 ERA in 66⅓ innings for Pittsburgh. “It was good to have that matchup, throw with William (Contreras) and talk with him about the game plan, talk about facing those guys, how we were going to out-think them and then go out there. It was good to implement them.

“Obviously, it’s the All-Star Game. It’s on national TV, which is nice. It’s nice to bring attention to the game.”

After two innings with Skane out, Soto came through again in a different manner for the American League, hitting a groundball up the middle that he scored thanks to a weak Teoscar Hernandez single in center field to cut the National League lead to two runs. Turned into a race. Led to a run.

Two batters later, David Frye, pinch-hitting for Globe Life Field opponent Yordan Alvarez, scored Soto from second base with a game-tying RBI single to left field.

Duran secured the come-from-behind victory – the American League’s 10th win in 11 All-Star Games – by hitting a fat splitter over the plate from the green 413 feet over the wall in right-center field. The home run was the first by a Red Sox player in an All-Star Game since Adrian Gonzalez in 2011. This moment was a sign that Duran had become a player.

Duran, a seventh-round pick in 2018, has overcome injuries and mental health challenges to emerge as one of baseball’s most dynamic talents. The Long Beach State product is batting .284 with an .820 OPS, elite defense and premier base running in 95 games. He leads the majors with 10 triples and leads the American League with 27 doubles.

The combination of power, glove and speed has produced 3.7 fWAR, which ranks 10th for the dominant Red Sox club, exceeding expectations in the hunt for a playoff spot. On Tuesday, Duran’s power took center stage as he shined alongside the game’s biggest stars.

“I’m very grateful,” Duran said. “It’s hard to put into words. It won’t affect me until I try to sleep tonight. Who knows if I’ll be able to sleep tonight or not.”