Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani smashed the fifth-longest home run in the 62-year Dodger Stadium history Sunday night, a 473-foot moon shot as L.A. swept the Boston Red Sox in their first series back from the All-Star Break.

When Ohtani entered the league six years ago, he became a global sensation as the first two-way star in the MLB since Babe Ruth. However, he underwent his second Tommy John surgery last off-season, forcing him to only hit in 2024.

He has not missed a beat.

The long ball on Sunday marked his 30th of the season, second in the MLB behind New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge. Along with his ability to hit for power, the Japanese star ranks third in batting average, hitting .313, seventh in RBIs with 70 and second in OPS at 1.033. He earned these numbers most impressively while hitting lead-off since former MVP Mookie Betts went down with a broken wrist a month ago.

Ohtani’s stellar week began in Texas, where he hit a three-run blast in the All-Star game off another Red Sox pitcher, Tanner Houck, to give the National League an early 3-0 lead. The American League scored five unanswered runs, winning the mid-summer classic 5-3.

Ohtan’s serge comes at the perfect time for a Dodger team gearing up for the stretch run. Dave Roberts’ team stumbled into the break, losing five of their last six, including getting swept by the N.L. leading Philadelphia Phillies. However, after the in-season pause, they responded, winning four in a row by defeating their rival San Francisco Giants at home on Monday. Along with their fortune on the field, the Dodgers are beginning to get healthy again. Pitcher Clayton Kershaw makes his season debut on Thursday after missing the first half of the year with a back injury, while fellow starter Tyler Glasnow will start Wednesday after being out since early July.

They currently lead the N.L. West by 8.5 games but are 3.5 games behind the Phillies.

The MLB released the rest of the AL and NL rosters. The starters are voted on by the fans and were announced early last week. However, MLB players decide who will fill out the rest of the All-Star game rosters.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skeens made the team as an All-Star reserve, making history as the first No.1 pick to become an All-Star the season after being drafted. The former LSU righty has a 2.12 ERA and a record of 5-0. Garrett Crochet, the Chicago White Sox left-handed pitcher, also made his first All-Star team as he leads the MLB in strikeouts with 146 and allows the fifth-lowest WHIP at 0.97. Industry experts believe that Crochet may be dealt at the trade deadline because of the need for starting pitching amongst contenders and the White Sox owning the worst record in baseball.

With a plethora of young talent entering the MLB in recent years, 32 combined players are competing in their first mid-summer classic. While there are the familiar names on the American League side, with Jose Altuve and Salvador Perez making their ninth All-Star appearance, there are budding stars such as Jordan Westberg of the Baltimore Orioles and Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox earning their first call-up.

The Philadelphia Phillies sent the most players to Texas, seven, as the team with the best record in the National League was rewarded. In the AL, four teams sent a pair of starters: the Orioles, New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros. Toronto Blue Jays 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will play without a teammate.

MLB teams earn a week off from playing baseball starting Monday, July 15, until Friday, July 19, as the sport takes its usual pause. The AL has won nine of the past ten contests, but the game has turned into an exhibition with home-field advantage not on the table as it was in recent years.

The New York Mets’ season-long roller coaster took another turn Sunday.

Leading 5-2 heading into the ninth inning, manager Carlos Mendoza brought on his closer Edwin Diaz to secure the series victory as the Orange and Blue vault themselves back into playoff contention.

Diaz never threw a pitch.

The umpires checked his hand and determined that what the pitcher had on was illegal, tossing him from the game. Diaz claimed it was a mixture of sweat and rosin, but the umpires felt differently and did not change their minds.

The Puerto Rican native faces a suspension of ten games per the MLB rule book, and the player cannot be replaced on the major league roster. However, Diaz will be allowed to appeal, although he has not yet done so.

After the game, Diaz claimed that what he used was common when he pitched.

He told SNY, “I was really surprised because I didn’t have anything on my hand, my glove, my belt. They always check my hat, everything. And they thought that was sticky a lot. I said, ‘You could check my hand, smell my hand,’ and they didn’t smell anything, but they threw me out of the game.”

Diaz’s career has taken a difficult turn since he signed the largest contract for a reliever in MLB history after the 2022 season, earning $120 million over five years. He did not throw a pitch last season after tearing his right patellar tendon during the World Baseball Classic. In 2024, he has struggled to regain his previous form with four blown saves in 23 appearances and a negative WAR.

The Mets need the best version of Diaz after their surprising vault up the National League standings. After being forced to tear down parts of the most expensive roster in the Majors during the 2023 season, Mendoza’s team was 29-37 before winning eight of their last ten. They now sit one game off the third spot in the NL wild card.

The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves are still neck-and-neck atop the N.L. East division, and with six games remaining in the regular season, a three-game series between the two teams may decide the season. The series begins Friday in Atlanta, though inclement weather from Hurricane Ian may change that.

With a 98-58 record, the Mets hold a one-game lead over the 97-59 Braves. On Wednesday, the two teams were tied for first, but Atlanta lost to the Washington Nationals while New York won against the Miami Marlins. Both games ended in extra innings a half hour apart.

With the lead in the division, New York can clinch with a three-game sweep of Atlanta. If the Mets win two games against the Braves, they can clinch with one win in their final three-game series against the Nationals. New York also has the tiebreaker over Atlanta, though that can change in this series.

The Braves cannot clinch with a sweep but winning all three games against the Mets would earn them the tiebreaker. It would also put them in a very good position to secure the division in three games against the Marlins. Atlanta can still win the division with two wins over New York this weekend, but the team would not be able to control its own destiny in that scenario.

Both teams have arranged their pitching rotations to best prepare for this upcoming series. Barring complications, the Mets will start Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt while the Braves will likely start Max Fried, Kyle Wright and Charlie Morton.

Both teams have premier starting pitchers in the National League, though the Mets’ combination of deGrom and Scherzer is especially notable. Atlanta will compete without rising star Spencer Strider, who is on the 15-day IL with an oblique strain.

Offensively, New York and Atlanta are vastly different. The Braves are dependent on power-hitting from players like Austin Riley and Matt Olson. Dansby Swanson, Marcell Ozuna and Ronald Acuña are also key contributors in the stacked lineup. Atlanta ranks second in the league in total home runs, trailing only Aaron Judge’s New York Yankees.

Meanwhile, the Mets typically depend on base hits and rallies, as hitters like Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo have all been versatile contact hitters capable of more at times. Every team needs its anchor though, and Pete Alonso has had a powerful year, becoming the first player in franchise history to hit 40 home runs in separate seasons.

Both teams will also play without key bats, as the Mets are without outfielder Starling Marte while the Braves are missing second baseman Ozzie Albies.

The Mets and Braves earned postseason berths some time ago, but the winner of the division will earn a valuable bye straight to the NLDS. Escaping a likely Wild Card matchup with the San Diego Padres could leave either team in a much better position to reach the NLCS and World Series.

As of right now, the Braves will have home-field advantage for the series, but MLB officials are considering contingency plans as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida. Rain forecasts in Atlanta are clear for now but there could be further complications.

The American League defeated the National League 8-6 in Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

MLB All-Star Game 2018 Highlights

The contest featured ten home runs, — five from each team — the most of any All-Star Game.

The AL has now won the All-Star matchup in 13 of the past 16 years. Houston Astros third baseman/shortstop Alex Bregman, 24, won the Game MVP award, and also smacked the game-winning homer in the 10th inning.

Here are some of the highlights from the game:

Second-year New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge opened the scoring in the second with a left-field homer that put the AL up 1-0.

Then in the third, Mike Trout hit a deep ball off Jacob deGrom to double the AL’s lead:

The NL made it 2-1 in the bottom of the frame when Wilson Contreras tapped a pitch from Blake Snell over the left-field wall.

In the fourth, buddies Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles and Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a selfie together, amid speculation of Machado landing with the Dodgers via trade.

After Bregman made it 6-5 in the tenth, George Springer and Jean Segura added one run each.

In total, the game lasted nearly three hours and 40 minutes.

Four American League teams and one National League teams were represented the most out of the 54 finalists for the 2017 Gold Glove Awards, which were unveiled on Thursday, one day before the World Series shifts to Houston for Game 3.

Rawlings Gold Glove Finalists 2017 News

The awards honor players for their outfield prowess during the 2017 season.

The Indians, Angels, Red Sox and Royals each have four finalists, while the Reds are the only NL club with four finalists.

Once the Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners are announced on Nov. 7 at 9 pm EST on ESPN, one player from each league will be named a Platinum Glove Award winner.

Here is the full list of winners:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Pitchers

• LHP Chris Sale, Red Sox
• RHP Marcus Stroman, Blue Jays
• RHP Alex Cobb, Rays

Catchers

• Yan Gomes, Indians
• Martin Maldonado, Angels
• Salvador Perez, Royals

First baseman

• Carlos Santana, Indians
• Eric Hosmer, Royals
• Mitch Moreland, Red Sox

Second baseman

• Brian Dozier, Twins
• Ian Kinsler, Tigers
• Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox

Third baseman

• Manny Machado, Orioles
• Jose Ramirez, Indians
• Evan Longoria, Rays

Shortstop

• Elvis Andrus, Rangers
• Andrelton Simmons, Angels
• Francisco Lindor, Indians

Left field

• Brett Gardner, Yankees
• Alex Gordon, Royals
• Justin Upton, Angels

Center field

• Lorenzo Cain, City Royals
• Kevin Pillar, Blue Jays
• Byron Buxton, Twins

Right field

• Kole Calhoun, Angels
• Mookie Betts, Red Sox
• Aaron Judge, Yankees

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Pitchers

• RHP R.A. Dickey, Braves
• RHP Zack Greinke, D-backs
• RHP Zach Davies, Brewers

Catchers

• Buster Posey, Giants
• Yadier Molina, Cardinals
• Tucker Barnhart, Reds

First baseman

• Joey Votto, Reds
• Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs
• Anthony Rizzo, Cubs

Second baseman

• DJ LeMahieu, Rockies
• Dee Gordon, Marlins
• Ben Zobrist, Cubs

Third baseman

• Nolan Arenado, Rockies
• Anthony Rendon, Nationals
• David Freese, Pirates

Shortstop

• Freddy Galvis, Phillies
• Brandon Crawford, Giants
• Corey Seager, Dodgers

Left field

• Gerardo Parra, Rockies
• Adam Duvall, Reds
• Marcell Ozuna, Marlins

Center field

• Billy Hamilton, Reds
• Michael Taylor, Nationals
• Ender Inciarte, Braves

Right field

• Yasiel Puig, Dodgers
• Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins
• Jason Heyward, Cubs

Molina is seeking his ninth career Gold Glove Award. He has won all eight since 2008. Rockies third baseman Arenado is in position to extend his MLB record for third basemen with a fifth straight Gold Glove Award to begin his career. Cubs right fielder Heyward could win his fifth Gold Glove Award, which would also be his fourth straight. MLB Awards season ends on Nov. 17, when winners are announced live on MLB Network and MLB.com starting at 8 p.m. ET.

PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 06: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds third after hitting a grand slam home run in the first inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 6, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

This article will not mention most of the MLB’s best players. Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Clayton Kershaw, Carlos Correa and countless others do not come into the discussion of where the best players in the league all reside.

That is because collectively, the most talented pool of players in the MLB live at the hot corner in the National League.

The biggest discussion when talking about the All-Star roster for the National League, which ultimately lost 2-1 to the American League on July 11 at Marlins Park in Miami, was how you could not fit all of the league’s premier third baseman on the roster.

Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies earned the starting spot and rightfully so. He has been arguably the best player at his position so far this season. He’s batting .301/.349/.556 with 18 home runs and 73 runs batted in to go with 111 hits. Arenado has contributed to a Rockies team that, with the Arizona Diamondbacks, have kept the NL West tough despite the Los Angeles Dodgers looking like the best team in baseball. As of now, the Rockies have the second wild card spot by a 5.5 game margin.

Speaking of the Diamondbacks, they lead the NL wild card race, clinging to a 0.5 game lead over Colorado and have turned around their season after a few lackluster years as of late. A catalyst to the success has been third baseman Jake Lamb. While the numbers don’t lead his position, he is still sporting a strong .273 batting average, with 20 home runs, 69 RBI’s, and 90 hits. He earned an All-Star nod for his efforts, being named the reserve third baseman.

The Dodgers’ Justin Turner received a spot on the All-Star team by way of the Final Vote, although many believe he should have had a spot outright. He has missed time this season due to an injury, but his numbers are still outstanding. He leads the league with a .370 batting average, and has added 11 long balls and 90 hits. Turner has certainly helped the Dodgers continue an impressive string of play.

Then, we’re left with the snubs. Experts named several different NL third baseman worthy of an All-Star selection or at least deeper consideration of whom were snubbed, and it just goes to show how deep the position really is.

Anthony Rendon of the Washington Nationals is hitting .320/.424/.597 with 20 home runs and 97 hits in 2017, but lost out on the Final Vote. Also losing out on the Final Vote was Kris Bryant, who was a large part of the Chicago Cubs’ historic championship run last season. He is not having the best season of NL third baseman given the depth at the position, but has still slugged 19 home runs and has a .273 batting average.

The Milwaulkee Brewers are leading the NL Central, and that is partly due to Travis Shaw, who has quietly risen up the ranks among NL third baseman, with a line of .299/.365/.575 to go with 21 home runs and 69 RBI’s. Division foe Jedd Gyroko of the St. Louis Cardinals is having his best season as a pro, with 85 hits and 14 home runs to go with a .292 batting average.

The efforts shown by the hot corner in the National League, especially at the plate, show why no division lead is safe (well, maybe LA’s is) and why all of these players deserve more recognition in a field clogged with talent.

Given the shaky state of their starting rotation, the New York Mets seemed bound to face trouble before the start of their four-game series against the Phillies this weekend.

Mets Rout Phillies 17-0, Take NL Wild Card Lead

Sunday’s game strongly suggested otherwise, nevertheless, as the Mets thrashed Philadelphia 17-0 at Citi Field for their most lopsided shutout victory in franchise history.

Just as he was on Thursday in the opener of the series against the Phillies, Asdrubal Cabrera proved to be one of the major players, hitting a grand slam in the seventh inning to score Rene Rivera, Brandon Nimmo and Jose Reyes and give New York an 11-0 lead.

With the win, the Mets moved one game ahead of the Giants for the lead National League Wild Card spot. The Cardinals, who fell 3-1 to the Cubs on Sunday night, are a half-game behind San Francisco.

“We needed one of those,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “Our bullpen was shot. So it was nice to be able to have comfortable innings at the end of the game.”

Rookie right-hander Robert Gsellman helped save the Mets with a season-high eight strikeouts, in what was easily the best start of his young career. The 23-year-old also singled on a bund down the first-base line in the third for his first Major League hit. Gsellman is currently nursing a left shoulder injury that prevents him from swinging. Over seven scoreless innings, the rookie gave up just three hits and two walks to earn his third win.

“I’m pretty comfortable,” Gsellman said. “I’m getting more confident and just keeping it rolling.”

Curtis Granderson hit his 30th homer off Phillies starter Jake Thompson, who allowed three runs in four innings. The Mets then began the blowout when Cabrera smacked his third career grand slam off Colton Murray. Cabrera’s performance is especially impressive given that he has suffered from a chronically sore left knee and a welt on his right leg during much of this home-stand.

Philadelphia pitchers walked nine batters in total and hit four more. The Phillies’ bullpen had a 14.29 ERA (27 earned runs in 17 innings) in the series against the Mets.

“Pretty embarrassing game today,” Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

Before Sunday’s game, the Mets and Phillies both lined up in front of their respective dugouts to honor late Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who died early Sunday in a tragic boating accident. Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespdes taped a Fernandez jersey to the wall of the home dugout, as members of both teams payed their respects.

The NL wild-card game will be held on Oct. 5 at the home stadium of the wild-card team with the better record.

Helped by a day off Thursday, the Mets plan to use their top and healthiest starters– Bartolo Colon and Noah Syndergaard–twice. But if the Mets manage to claim a playoff berth before the final weekend, they could simply adjust their pitching schedule to prepare Syndergaard for a wild-card game start.

“I have great confidence in what’s going on,” Collins said.

The 17-0 final was the most lopsided shutout victory in Mets franchise history, one run shy of their most lopsided win ever (19-1 over the Cubs on May 26, 1964).  The loss was Philadelphia’s largest margin of defeat since a 22-3 loss to the Reds on Sept. 4, 1999 at Veterans Stadium.

The Phillies are off on Monday, but they open their last road series of the season Tuesday night against the Braves at Turner Field. Righty Jerad Eickhoff (11-14, 3.75 ERA) will make his penultimate start of the season.

The Mets, (83-73, 2nd in NL East) meanwhile, next travel to Miami for a three-game series against the Marlins that begins on Monday night. Bartolo Colon will take the mound against the Marlins, (77-78, 3rd in NL East) who will be mourning the loss of Fernandez. Miami’s team canceled their scheduled Sunday game against the Braves, hours after Fernandez’s passing.

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 25: Robert Gsellman #65 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch during the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on September 25, 2016 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

Yadier Molina smacked a grand slam to right field beyond PNC Park’s Clemente wall in the top of the first inning to lift the St. Louis Cardinals to a 9-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday night, while also writing his team into the National League record books.

Yadier Molina’s Grand Slam Leads Cardinals To 9-7 Win Vs Pirates

Molina’s grand slam– his first since 2012 and fourth of his career– pushed the Cardinals’ home run streak to 25 games, matching an NL record set by the Pirates earlier this season. If the team also homers in its next two games, it will tie the longest streak in Major League history, which was established by the Texas Rangers in 2002.

“Impressive,” manager Mike Matheny stated after being reminded of the streak following St. Louis’ come-from-behind win. “Once again, it shows the talent level, and the guys we have are taking good at-bats.”

Molina, who didn’t earn his first home run until May 21, has now hit seven this season. Three have come in the seven games he has played on this road trip, during which he has gone 13-for-29 (.448). He recorded four hits on Tuesday, thus increasing his season average to .296, the highest it has been since May.

The Puerto Rican catcher, who turned 34 during the All-Star break, has had a stellar second half. He’s hitting .364 with 21 extra-base hits since the midseason break.

“I’m just seeing the ball pretty good now,” Molina said. “When I hit the ball hard early in the season, it was right at people. Right now, they’re finding holes. I’m in great shape and a great point in my career. I feel good.”

The Pirates, who lost their eighth straight game, now sit 5 1/2 games behind the Cardinals in the Wild Card standings. The Cardinals remain half a game behind the Giants for the NL’s first wild card.

Starling Marte’s inefficient route turned into a leadoff triple by Kolten Wong. Following a one-out walk to Brandon Moss, Matt Adams hit a weak grounder that first baseman John Jaso was unable to turn into an out. Wong, who broke on contact, slid safely back into third before Jaso’s toss.

“I know with [Ryan] Vogelsong, it’s going to be in the strike zone,” said Molina, who hadn’t had a first-pitch home run this season. “I was ready to hit.”

With an NL-high 201 homers this season, the Cardinals are on track to break their franchise single-season record of 235, which they set in 2000.

Matt Carpenter, assigned a break Tuesday because Matheny worried about how heavily he wore three strikeouts on Monday, came off the bench to make history and tie the score with a two-out, pinch-hit homer in the ninth. Carpenter’s solo blast on an 0-2 pitch from Pittsburgh closer Tony Watson marked the first of three homers St. Louis hit that inning for a crazy comeback.

In 10 games at PNC Park last season, the Cardinals had 140 at-bats against Pittsburgh’s left-handed pitchers. They hit a total of five home runs. On Tuesday, they hit three against a left-hander in the span of four at-bats. Carpenter tied it up, Randal Grichuk added to it, and Jhonny Peralta capped it off.

Matheny admitted he was at a loss for words by the end of the game.

“There’s a whole lot that happened here,” Matheny said. “Speechless.”

The two teams will face off for their three-game series finale at PNC Park on Wednesday night. Right-hander Mike Leake, sidelined since Aug. 21 with shingles, will start for the Cardinals, (73-64, 2nd in NL Central) while rookie righty Jameson Taillon will take the mound for the Pirates (67-69, 3rd in NL Central).

PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 06: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds third after hitting a grand slam home run in the first inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 6, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Brandon Crawford tied an all-time single-game National League record with a franchise-record seven hits, including a go-ahead single off righty Andrew Cashner in the 14th inning to lead the San Francisco Giants to an 8-7 victory over the Marlins in Miami on Monday night.

Giants’ Brandon Crawford Ties MLB Record With Seven Hits In 8-7 Win Over Marlins

With the win, the Giants remain one game ahead of the Dodgers for first place in the NL West. The Marlins fell to 7 1/2 games behind the NL East-leading Nationals and are tied with the Cardinals for the second NL Wild Card.

“It’s crazy to me,” Crawford said. “The history of the Giants with all the great players that have come through here, you would think that someone would push across seven hits in one day.”

The 29-year-old shortstop’s record-tying hit in the top of the 14th scored Brandon Belt from second base to break a 7-7 tie. It was the fifth single among his seven hits. He also recorded a double and a triple.

Giants catcher Buster Posey was banged up on an awkward headfirst slide into third base in the 11th inning, slamming his jaw against the bag. Posey said he was fine following the game.

“I went from making the coolest play in my career in the beginning of the game to making the worst,” Posey said of his first-inning attempt to throw out Dee Gordon at second. “I always say that this game will humble you quickly.”

Gordon, Martin Prado and Christian Yelich combined to go 8-for-17 with six RBIs for the Marlins, although they were ultimately unable to outlast the Giants or stop Crawford.

“That’s a lot,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Crawford’s 7-for-8 night. “Obviously we didn’t figure him out today. He’s a tough out right now.”

Crawford is only the fourth player in modern MLB history (since 1900) to finish with seven hits in a game. Rennie Stennett of the Pirates last accomplished the feat in 1975. Stennett earned his seven hits in seven consecutive at-bats, while Crawford sandwiched a strikeout among his plate appearances to end the game 7-for-8.

Rocky Colavito (1962, Tigers) and Cesar Gutierrez (1970, Tigers) are the other two players to set that record.

Monday’s five-hour, 34-minute game featured 17 different pitchers, but before the Marlins’ bullpen blew a 5-1 lead in the seventh, Jose Fernandez turned in another solid home start. The Miami right-hander held San Francisco to one run on six hits over six innings in a no-decision. Fernandez has now thrown six or more innings for a team-leading 17th time this season.

“We let the lead slip away there in the seventh, but we bounced back — they bounced back, and from there it was crazy,” Mattingly said.

Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto had a poor outing. The veteran lasted five innings, yielding five runs on six hits, two of which were home runs. Cueto is still winless in the second half of the season, having gone 0-3 with a 5.02 ERA in five starts.

In a five-run seventh, the Giants recorded six straight hits, including Hunter Pence’s game-tying RBI single. San Francisco then took the lead on Brian Ellington’s first pitch to Eduardo Nunez– a wild pitch that allowed Crawford to race home.

Ichiro Suzuki entered the game for the Marlins in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter. It was his first at-bat at Marlins Park since reaching 3,000 hits on Sunday. The game was momentarily delayed prior to his at-bat as the crowd rose to its feet for a standing ovation while the scoreboard replayed Ichiro’s milestone hit. The outfielder grounded out to second in his only plate appearance on Monday.

The two teams face off for the second game of their three-game series in Miami on Tuesday night. Lefty Matt Moore (7-7, 4.04 ERA) will make his second start with the Giants (64-48, 1st in NL West), while right-hander Tom Koehler (8-8, 4.05 ERA) take the mound for the Marlins (59-53, 2nd in NL East).

MIAMI, FL – AUGUST 08: Brandon Crawford #35 of the San Francisco Giants hits double in the 4th inning agains the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on August 8, 2016 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Kansas City Royals Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez both homered in a three-run second inning to power the American League to a 4-2 victory over the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Petco Park in San Diego.

Royals Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez Lead AL To 4-2 Win Over NL In 2016 All-Star Game

The AL also sent off Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz with a win in his final All-Star Game. Hosmer added an RBI single in the third inning and became the first Royal since Bo Jackson in 1989 to receive MVP honors.

“This whole week, this whole San Diego All-Star Game has been unbelievable,” Hosmer said. “It’s a dream come true, and it kind of felt like my first big league homer right there. It was special.”

It was no surprise the Royals first baseman felt that way. Hosmer’s solo homer to left field off San Francisco Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto in the bottom of the second came in the first All-Star at-bat of his life. Two batters later, Perez became the first catcher in Royals history to score a homer in an All-Star Game, blasting a high two-run bomb to left field.

Indians right-hander Corey Kluber pitched a perfect second to earn the win for the AL, which has now won four consecutive All-Star Games. Kluber also became the first Cleveland pitcher to win an All-Star Game since now-Mets ace Bartolo Colon in 1998.

Chicago Cub Kris Bryant gave the NL a lead in the first, firing a solo shot off the scoreboard beyond the left-field first deck. Miami’s Marcell Ozuna added an RBI single to center field off Toronto right-hander Aaron Sanchez in the fourth to plate Buster Posey and cut the deficit to two runs. However, the AL bullpen didn’t falter after that.

In the top of the eighth, Astros right-hander Will Harris punched out Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz with the bases loaded to keep the AL ahead by two. Orioles lefty Zach Britton then worked a smooth ninth to record the save.

“It’s baseball; we face All-Stars all the time,” Harris said. “It’s no different. You just want to do your job, and now the game counts for so much. With home-field advantage, there’s a little bit extra on the line which makes it that much more fun.”

Britton got Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado to ground into a game-ending double play to seal the win for the AL.

Ortiz, a 40-year-old 10-time All-Star, smacked a ball to first base in the top of the first that was deftly picked up by the Cubs’s Anthony Rizzo. This was the only official at-bat of the night for the Dominican Red Sox slugger. He walked in the third and was removed for a pinch-runner to a loud ovation from both fans and players. Ortiz, who is batting .332 and leads the Majors in on-base percentage and slugging, will retire after the season.

“It’s something that I’ll never forget, when you see all your boys,” Ortiz said of being greeted by his teammates as he left the field. “Pretty much everybody in this dugout has been related to me one way or another.”

Angels center fielder Mike Trout lined a single to center off Cueto in the first to raise his All-Star Game hitting streak to five– and he’s recorded a hit in his first at-bat on all five occasions.

“I’m enjoying it more; I know what I’m going to do,” Trout said of his fifth All-Star experience. “The guys in there do a good job keeping me in the right line, where I’m going at the right time, and I just try to enjoy every minute of it. This time it went so fast.”

Fan-favorite Wil Myers of the Padres roped a two-out double in the fifth, making him the first player to record an extra-base hit in a hometown All-Star Game since Mariners outfielder Mike Cameron did so in 2001. One inning earlier, lefty Drew Pomeranz threw a scoreless fourth and left to a standing ovation.

“The fans were just going crazy since we’re here in our home city,” Pomeranz said. “Especially when they announced both of us. It was pretty awesome. It’s pretty special to have your first one anywhere, but even more so here.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXLF4fAzl-c

SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 12: Eric Hosmer #35 of the Kansas City Royals and the American League rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the National League in the 2nd inning of the 87th Annual MLB All-Star Game at PETCO Park on July 12, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)