The American League made quick work of the National League on Tuesday night, rolling to a 4-0 win in the 96th Midsummer Classic at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
It was the fifth time the All-Star Game landed in Philly, but the first time the event was staged at Citizens Bank Park. The night belonged to the AL from the opening inning, and the A’s had a pair of All-Stars in the mix: Shea Langeliers, who started at catcher and hit third, and Nick Kurtz, who was unavailable because of a thumb injury.
The American League struck first and struck fast against Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez. In the top of the first, Yordan Alvarez delivered a base hit, Langeliers drew a walk, and Bobby Witt Jr. also reached on a walk. Then the Yankees’ Cody Belanger and Ben Rice followed with singles to push the AL into a 3-0 lead before the game had settled in.
Langeliers kept getting involved early. He led off the third inning against Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien with a single to center field, but Witt erased him on a fielder’s choice.
From there, the story turned into a pitching clinic. Through three innings, AL pitchers had allowed no hits and just one walk while protecting the lead.
That run finally ended in the fourth, when Juan Soto singled to open the inning against Twins right-hander Joe Ryan. Soto never advanced, and the National League still couldn’t crack the scoreboard.
MLB also built one of the night’s biggest moments into the fifth-inning ceremony, with kids riding bikes to the stadium and breaking through the outfield fence to join the big leaguers on the field for a fireworks show set to the classic version of America the Beautiful performed by Ray Charles.
The arms kept controlling everything from there. By the end of seven innings, the National League had only one hit, while the American League had just five.
The AL finally added insurance in the eighth, and it came with the game’s first extra-base hit: a huge homer from White Sox infielder Miguel Vargas. That made it 4-0 heading to the bottom of the inning, and the American League never let the margin breathe.
Aroldis Chapman entered in the ninth to close things out for the Red Sox, then gave way after two outs to Bryan Baker of the Tampa Bay Rays. Otto Lopez of the Miami Marlins picked up the National League’s third hit with two outs in the ninth, but Baker shut the door. The result was the American League’s first shutout in 13 years.
In Other News...
A's Are Finally Giving Tommy White A Look Fans Wanted
Tommy White is getting the call at a time when the Athletics need another bat and a little more flexibility on the roster. The club is set to bring up the infielder for the series opener against the Washington Nationals, a move that comes as part of a broader shuffle that includes activating Donovan Walton and sending Joey Meneses and Brian Serven to Triple-A.
Whites path to Oakland has been watched closely by fans who have wanted to see him get a real look, and the opening was created when Brent Rookers season-ending injury moved him to the 60-day injured list. White is not on the 40-man roster, so the As had to make room, and now the question is how quickly he can settle into a major league role and give the lineup something it has been missing. [Read more 🡒]
A's Youth Movement Just Took A Dramatic Turn This Week
The Athletics roster churn has kept the focus squarely on the future, and this week brought another clear sign of how aggressively the club is leaning into it. Oakland brought up third baseman Tommy White and right-hander Yunior Tur, adding another layer to a youth movement that has already been reshaping the big-league picture while the organization continues sorting through its pitching staff.
The timing matters, too, because the moves come on the heels of the clubs recent dismissal of pitching coach Scott Emerson, a change that underscored how much pressure is building around the mound. Aaron Civales season has been a struggle, and he had not pitched for the As since July 10, leaving the organization with a decision that says plenty about where it thinks the next phase of this season is headed. [Read more 🡒]
A's Deadline Direction Suddenly Feels Far More Complicated
A nine-game losing streak has a way of turning a front offices summer plans into a moving target, and that is where the Athletics find themselves as the second half opens. Even with the skid, there are still reasons to think the roster has some life in it, thanks in part to the steady play of Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Jacob Wilson, while the club remains close enough in the standings to keep a playoff push from feeling entirely out of reach.
That is what makes the coming weeks tricky for Oakland. The Athletics are still within striking distance of the division race, but they also have to decide whether the smarter play is to add pitching and try to stabilize the staff or to listen on key veterans and recast the roster for later. With the deadline approaching, the organization suddenly has more than one plausible direction, and the path it chooses could say plenty about how real this second-half push actually is. [Read more 🡒]