Shohei Ohtani's highly successful All-Star debut ended with victory on Tuesday as the American League All-Stars defeated their National League counterparts, 5-2, in the 2021 edition of the Midsummer Classic.
Ohtani made history yet again, becoming the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to ever start a game on the mound, bat leadoff, and earn the win in the same game, including the regular season, postseason, and All-Star Game.
Mixed bag for Ohtani in All-Star Game debut
Many wondered what shape Ohtani would be in after he looked exhausted in his Home Run Derby loss to Juan Soto the night before. But the Japanese phenom laid those concerns to rest after throwing a perfect 1-2-3 inning in the first, with his fastball speed topping out at 100.2 miles per hour.
Ohtani became just the second starter in All-Star Game history to reach 100 mph since Statcast was introduced in 2015, joining Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale in 2018. He started his night on the mound with a 96.1 mph delivery to San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. who eventually flew out to the left field on a 1-2 slider.
Ohtani then got Los Angeles Dodgers' first baseman Max Muncy to ground out on a 1-1 fastball that registered at 96.6 mph. Knowing that he will pitch for one inning in the Midsummer Classic, Ohtani decided to let it rip against St. Louis Cardinals' third baseman Nolan Arenado.
Ohtani's first pitch in the dirt against Arenado was 99.5 mph, and the 27-year-old later threw back-to-back heaters at 100.2 mph and 99.7 mph to the delight of the crowd. He eventually induced a groundout to short with his tough-to-hit splitter pitch.
Ohtani failed to match, however, the heights of his performance in the Home Run Derby with his batting on Tuesday night, going hitless in two at-bats. While batting leadoff, he grounded out to second base on an 0-1 cutter from National League starting pitcher Max Scherzer.
Thanks to MLB slightly tweaking the rules, Ohtani returned for a second at-bat against Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Corbin Burnes, but he grounded out to first on a first-pitch cutter.
Related Article: Shohei Ohtani Makes History, Selected As Pitcher and Position Player in 2021 MLB All-Star Game
Guerrero Jr. wins MVP after a towering blast
Fortunately for Ohtani, his teammates delivered the offense that he needed to grab the historic win. One guy who stood out for the American League in this victory was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He became the second youngest player in All-Star Game history (22 years and 119 days) to hit a home run after blasting a 468-foot homer against Burnes in the second inning.
He earned All-Star MVP honors after going 1-for-3 on the night with two RBIs. He made history with his father as well, as Vlad Sr. and Vlad Jr. became the third father-son combo to go deep in the Midsummer Classic, joining the Bonds and the Griffeys in that esteemed list.
With the 5-2 win, the American League continued its unprecedented dominance in the Midsummer Classic. The AL All-Stars have now won 19 of the past 23 All-Star Games, including each of their last eight meetings with the NL All-Stars.
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