The All-Star Game festivities began on Tuesday night with the starters announced as lassos flew around them and cowboy hats were placed on young kids. It was time to get to business in Arlington with the 94th edition of the Midsummer Classic. A Yankees rival hit the biggest blow of the ballgame, but Juan Soto found himself near the epicenter of the action as well, going 1-for-1 with a walk, a double, a run scored, and two RBI as the American League won, 5-3.
Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes got the start for the Junior Circuit, and the former Cy Young Award winner ultimately did his job. Burnes induced a groundout from leadoff hitter Ketel Marte and walked Shohei Ohtani before giving Yankees captain Aaron Judge his first action of the game on a fly ball to center from Trea Turner. A Bryce Harper double to left field put two on with two out, but Burnes worked out of the jam, giving way to the biggest pregame story of the spectacle: 22-year-old Pirates righty and National League All-Star starter Paul Skenes.
A year after being drafted and two months after making his MLB debut, the rookie Skenes stepped on the mound for the NL to face the top of the AL order. That included one of the three Yankees All-Stars, Soto. Some fans were worried that they would not see a Skenes vs.
Judge matchup because No. 99 was the AL cleanup hitter, and if Skenes threw a perfect first, he wouldn’t face him. Soto, however, promised that he would make it happen.
The ever-patient Soto indeed worked an un.