The Phillies arrived at the All-Star break riding a strong run, but Tuesday night’s showcase didn’t give their group much to celebrate. Philadelphia sent six All-Stars to the game, including two starters and its starting pitcher, yet the night tilted heavily toward disappointment for most of the club’s representatives.
Cristopher Sanchez got the ball for the National League, and the early trouble from his recent starts followed him into the first inning. He was charged with three runs right away, and he spent much of his outing fighting the strike zone while piling up pitches. That’s the kind of performance the Phillies will be watching closely as they head into the second half, given how central Sanchez is to what they want to do.
At the plate, Kyle Schwarber drew the leadoff assignment for the NL after replacing the injured Shohei Ohtani as the starting designated hitter. But the Home Run Derby fireworks from the night before didn’t carry over. Schwarber finished 0-for-2 with a strikeout before being pinch-hit for by a teammate.
Brandon Marsh, the other Philadelphia starter, hit seventh and also had a rough debut in the game. He went 0-for-2 and struck out twice.
There was at least one bright spot for the Phillies when Jesus Luzardo made his All-Star debut in the middle innings. The left-hander worked a scoreless frame and needed just six pitches to do it.
Bryce Harper also got into the game late, but he couldn’t change the Phillies’ fortunes. In his first at-bat, he struck out, which made it five strikeouts for Philadelphia players on the night.
Jhoan Duran finished things off for the top of the ninth with the American League already comfortably ahead, and he turned in a scoreless inning as well. Still, for a team that showed up with so much representation, the overall return was underwhelming. At home, the Phillies had a chance for a few big moments that could have lit up the building, but they never really found them.
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