2023 ALL-STAR GAME
The 2023 Mid-West Baseball League All-Star Game was held on Saturday Night, November 11th, 2023 in the home of the Southbend Lynx.
“Special. recognition is given here to Brandon Hogan for taking on the past All-Star Games Project as he has helped out playing these and catching up not only with the MWBL but also with some past MWWL All-Star Games. Thank you very much Brandon for helping out with these projects. I hope you enjoy the Mid-Baseball & Mid-West Winter League as much as we have the past 25 Years!”
STARTING PITCHERS:
Justin Verlander 28-2 (1.02) vs. Sandy Alcantara 21-8 (2.07)
The best and brightest of the Mid-West Baseball League took to the field again for the 2023 edition of the All-Star game. Coming into the battle the American League had taken home the win the last two seasons. Looking to build on the streak, this time the A.L. played host to the National League.
As expected, both teams started two of the best in the game to try and get to glory. For the A.L. it was Sandy Alcantara and the N.L. countered with Justin Verlander. Right off the bat, we got some action in the game as in the top of the 1st Gleyber Torres reached on a 1-out error on a terrible toss from Alcantara to 1st baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. More problems followed as Nolan Arenado hit a grounder to Vlad and when he tossed it to Alcantara he missed the bag. All of a sudden runners are on 1st and 2nd with 1 out and the ball didn’t even leave the infield for those runners. A quick Freddie Freeman single loaded up the bases and it felt like the game was going to get away. Matt Olson got himself an eye-popping pitch and just missed hitting it out but Aaron Judge needed to get all the way to the wall to make the catch. An easy run for Torres. 1-0 N.L. Alcantara got out of the inning when he retired Lindor on a lazy fly ball.
Verlander had a relatively easy bottom half as he gave up a single to Yordan Alvarez and nothing else. The 2nd and 3rd inning was boring if you like hitting as the A.L. got 4 strikeouts from Steven Wilson and Seranthony Dominguez, 3 of which came from Dominguez striking out the side. He looked like his stuff could never be touched. Brandon Woodruff got a 2-strikeout 2nd inning for the N.L. so it seemed like it was going to be a pitching duel across the board.
Picking up in the top of the 4th, the A.L. brought Luis H. Garcia to continue the trend of 0’s. The N.L. sent their first pinch-hitter to the plate Xander Bogaerts and it paid off. With 1 out Bogaerts put the ball into the 2nd deck in left field. 2-0 N.L. Exactly what the doctor ordered.
After the home run, the game turned back to a pitching battle. Innings 4-8 the A.L. did not get a single hit and only 2 men reached on walks. On the flip side, the N.L. did not fair much better, they got a double, single, and a walk from the 5th through the 8th. Pure domination on the mound, including the A.L. having Aaron Judge taking the long walk back to the dugout after striking out 3 times in the game and Luis Arraez somehow striking out twice.
The game felt like it was rushed to the 9th since it was out after out but the N.L. was prepared to put the game away. In the top half, the A.L. brought Clayton Kershaw out to face Randy Arozarena and got him out on a foul tip. Bearing down the A.L. then had Drew Rasmussen face Will D. Smith and got a groundout. Now, a 3rd pitcher made his appearance in the 9th as Ryan Helsley struck out Lourdes Gurriel. The score remained 2-0 as the A.L. was due to get their last cracks. With all of the pitching changes throughout the game, the N.L. had one man left in the pen. Evan Phillips came out to close the door. MVP ballots were being filled out as it felt like the award was all Xander Bogaerts. Luis Rengifo led the inning off and flew out to right center. 2 outs away from getting back in the winning column for the N.L. Rafael Devers got his chance and drew a 4 pitch walk. Not ideal, the tying run got to trot up to the plate. If you were looking at a lineup card, you didn’t want to be on the mound since it was Aaron Judge. His 4th plate appearance of the game and the last 3 ended in strikeouts. On a 1-1 pitch, TOUCH THEM ALL. 2-run bomb and we are tied! The air came right out of the sails of the N.L. The Judge home run was the first hit for the A.L. since the 3rd inning. Next up, Shohei Ohtani and he kept the rally going with a double in the gap. Trea Turner came up with a chance to win it but rolled over to 3rd and Ohtani moved up 90 feet on the throw. Now with 2 outs, were extra innings in the cards? Not this year, Jose Abreu for the 2nd time in 3 years got himself a walk-off hit! A single to left and just like that 3-2 A.L. 3 wins in a row. Although Abreu got the walk-off single, Judge with his game-tying 2-run home run got MVP honors.
FINAL SCORE: AMERICAN LEAGUE 3 – NATIONAL LEAGUE 2
WP: Ryan Helsley 1-0 (0.00)
LP: Evan Phillips 0-1 (40.50)
MVP: Aaron Judge went 1 for 4 with a Game tying 2-Run Home Run in the 9th Inning.
