The Phillies slugger goes 3 for 3 in MLB’s equivalent of soccer’s penalty-kicks shootout to give the National League a win after the score was tied at 6-6 through nine innings. Schwarber is named the game’s MVP.
Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber went 3 for 3 in the first All-Star Game home run swing-off to put the National League ahead 4-3 following a 6-6 tie in which the American League rallied from a six-run deficit on Tuesday night.
In baseball’s equivalent of soccer’s penalty-kicks shootout, the game was decided by having three batters from each league take three swings each off of coaches. The change was agreed to in 2022 to alleviate the concern of teams running out of pitchers.
Schwarber was named All-Star MVP after going 0 for 2 with a walk in the game.
The Athletics’ Brent Rooker put the AL ahead by homering on his last two swings, and Miami’s Kyle Stowers – subbing for Arizona’s Eugenio Suárez – hit one.
Seattle’s Randy Arozarena boosted the AL lead to a 3-1 lead, then Schwarber was successful on all three tries, going down to a knee as he sent the last one into the Chop House seats in right field.
Tampa Bay’s Jonathan Aranda failed on all three tries, hitting the right field wall with his second, and the NL didn’t have to use its last batter, New York Mets slugger and two-time Home Run Derby champion Pete Alonso, as it won for just the second time in the last 12 All-Star Games. The AL leads 48-45 with two ties.
