Washington D.C.- It does not get any better than seeing Luis Severino and Jacob deGrom pitching Tuesday night at Nationals Park. Severino and deGrom, two of the premiere pitchers in baseball, Yankees and Mets All-Stars.
They represented the AL and NL All-stars in a game that featured a record 10 home runs runs in a 10 inning American League 8-6 win, their sixth straight in the Mid-Summer Classic.
Aaron Judge had one of the early AL home runs. Jacob deGrom got his opportunity in the third inning and gave up the line drive home run to Mike Trout off a 1-1 pitch and the AL got the 2-0 advantage. And the final line for Severino, an-inning, 1- hit, no runs, and a strikeout.
So advantage goes to Luis Severino in this one, but really the All-Star game has evolved into a business venture for Major League Baseball. The innings from Severino and deGrom meant little as compared to the record number of home runs because baseball is about the long ball.
Oh the strikeouts and 25 combined, isn’t that how this game is going?
Said Severino, “I feel like everybody got promoted very well.” But the American League leader in wins, 14, was not throwing hard in his second career All-Star game. The home run ball that deGrom threw to Trout had some velocity.
But this is also the game for Mike Trout. The perennial All-Star of the Angels is batting .310 with 71 runs scored, 104 hits, 18 doubles, 25 home runs and 50 RBI, a .454 on base percentage and 10th in stolen bases.
Yes, stolen bases and not one in this game. Just the home run ball and a game that became a home run derby and showcase, a carry over from the Home Run Derby of the previous night.
Perhaps better than the Derby was the way the home run ball flew out of Nationals Park.
On the home run ball to Trout, a 92 mph sinker off a 1-2 pitch, deGrom said, “He got a slow ball well. It was fun. That’s what it is about going out there and playing against the best.”
And this was the second straight All-Star game for deGrom, with trade rumors and contract extensions surrounding every move at Nationals Park.
One strike away was deGrom from a perfect inning. However, Trout connected and spoiled two consecutive and perfect All-Star innings but there will be many more.
“Apparently I’ll have to come up with a different game plan when I face him next time,” deGrom said. “I was fortunate to pitch in my first one in ‘15 and then I was able to throw in this one. It’s a lot of fun to go in there and compete.”
And for Severino, he did something else and caught the Judge home run ball when warming up in the bullpen to relieve Chris Sale as the second pitcher for the AL All-Stars.
“After I caught it, I said who was running it was cool,” Severino said.Severino will have more and important things on his agenda when the season resumes at Yankee Stadium Friday evening. Jacob deGrom will get another start in the Bronx this weekend as the Mets play to be respectable.
But this was an All-Star night that was about the home run ball and about two of the best pitchers in New York with teams in opposite directions. Next year it’s Cleveland and if the cards are righ,t it will be Severino and deGrom again on the mound representing New York in the All-Star Game.
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