ARLINGTON, Texas – This player will forever be remembered as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rookie sensation. Paul Skenes’ Coming Out PartyBut Shohei Ohtani once again reminded everyone he’s still the best player in the world at Tuesday night’s All-Star Game, while Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran’s storied breakout season added a new chapter.
The American League won the All-Star Game, 5-3, and Duran joined Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski as the only Boston Red Sox outfielders to win the MVP award.
And yet, everyone was still talking about Skenes after pitching the first inning of the game and not getting a strikeout.
He arrived in town on Sunday, Famous Lover Livi Dunn And I left with everyone at Globe Life Field believing the All-Star Game could become an annual trip.
Skenes was struck by how he watched and admired those All-Stars and now became one of them. On Monday night, he sat next to Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow and Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds. Home Run Derby After pitching one inning Tuesday night, he sat next to Atlanta veteran starting pitcher Chris Sale on the dugout and dined in the clubhouse with Glasnow, Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene and San Francisco Giants starter Logan Webb.
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“That’s probably the coolest thing,” Skenes said. “The coolest thing is they’ve just been so accepting of me and welcoming me into the clubhouse with open arms and just being so supportive and watching me get started. It’s been awesome.”
“I definitely feel like I’m one of them.”
While most players left the team after the All-Star Game, Skenes chose to stay and watched Ohtani hit a 400-foot, three-run home run in the third inning.
“I think it’s been four or five years since we’ve been answering questions about Shohei at an All-Star Game,” said All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, Ohtani’s teammate. “You can’t put into words what he’s doing. You always talk about his pitching and his hitting, and now he’s coming off his second Tommy John surgery and still going out there and being the best player.”
“So, that’s really great.”
Skenes, who was hit by a home run by Ohtani last month, was just grateful to be on Ohtani’s team all night and watch him inflict damage on others.
“It was really cool to see him do that,” Skenes said, “and see him do his thing and meet him and experience all of that.”
“I don’t think I’ve faced a better hitter than him in my career.
“So to share the dugout with him was surreal.”
National League players echoed the sentiment about Skenes, talking about his blistering fastball, his sprinkler pitches, his background as a cadet at the Air Force Academy and his emergence as one of the best rookie pitchers of all time.
“It was great talking to him,” Webb said. “I’ve talked to a lot of pitchers and learned a lot from those guys.”
What did he learn from Skenes?
“I wish I could,” Webb said with a laugh, “but I can’t pitch 102.”
Skenes’ debut was uneventful on the field. He started off by getting leadoff hitter Steve Kwan, who was leading the major leagues with a .352 batting average, on a sloppy flyout. Gunnar Henderson, who is batting .286 with 28 home runs, was his next victim, hitting a 50 mph ball to the mound.
That’s when Juan Soto came into the discussion.
Soto battled Skenes over seven pitches, drawing a walk after Skenes swung and whiffed on an 84.7 mph curveball and then swung and whiffed again on a 100 mph fastball.
“I was trying to get him deep,” Soto said. “I’m not gonna lie.”
Up to bat was Aaron Judge, the American League’s home run leader who leads the major leagues with 34 home runs. Skenes threw a 99.7 mph fastball. Judge swung and hit a routine grounder to third base.
Skenes’ night was over.
“That’s amazing,” Skenes said.
Which pitch is he most memorable for?
“Probably the first pitch,” he said, “just because I was up there. I don’t think I lost consciousness when I was up there, but I was pretty close. It was cool to be on that mound, but it was cool to be able to share this with my family and have them here and experience it.”
It will certainly be a memorable night for Duran, who hit a game-winning, two-run homer in his first at-bat in the fifth inning. The homer allowed him to highlight his support for mental health, an issue he struggled with early in his career. He wore the words “[Expletive] “They,” he yelled, then held up the MVP trophy with “Still Alive” written on his taped wrist.
Now he has some hardware too.
“It’s hard to put into words, but honestly I couldn’t stop thinking about my family. It was a surreal moment,” Duran said.
“The All-Star Game, my first home run, the All-Star Game MVP. I’m really grateful. It’s hard to put into words.”
“You won’t realize it until you try to sleep tonight.
“Who knows if I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”
One All-Star who never sleeps is American League starting pitcher Corbin Burnes. Burnes arrived at the ballpark on Tuesday morning, having spent the past two days with his wife, son and newborn twin daughters. After pitching one inning, he will immediately return to his home in Phoenix to spend the remainder of the All-Star break with his family.
“They’re a little over two weeks old,” Barnes said, “so it’s good to be home and see them. The last time I saw them, they were two days old. It was hard to tell them apart at that point. I’m glad I can tell them apart now.”
“So I’ll go back, change some diapers, give the girls bottles and spend as much time with them as I can before I head home.”
Of course, it would have been easy for Barnes to miss the All-Star Game. He didn’t need to be here. Everyone should have understood that.
“That’s not possible,” he said. “My wife says every year, ‘You never know when it’s going to be your last time.’ So I think if you get the honor of coming, you should not only represent major league baseball, but the team that I’m a part of.”
“I wanted to enjoy the experience.”
It was an unforgettable night for most.
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