American League Wins 2022 All-Star Game
Shutterstock
Shutterstock
Baseball’s time-honored tradition, the good-spirited All-Star Game competition, has closed another exhibition match. This time around, the American League took home the victory once again with Giancarlo Stanton and Byron Buxton homering back-to-back to end the game 3 to 2.
That brings the AL to an impressive nine wins over the National League — but the game was hardly a blowout.
As usual, the superstar players from both leagues were in top form for the Midsummer Classic. The game took place at Dodger Stadium in front of a packed crowd, and each player on the AL team helped contribute to the dramatic victory.
Stanton was named All-Star MVP, but how did his bat contribute to the win?
In the fourth inning, Stanton made the difference in the game by hitting a scorching two-run homer off the Dodgers’ right-handed pitcher Tony Gonsolin. Stanton also hit the longest ball of the night, with the homer arcing some 457 feet before touching the earth again.
Buxton was right behind him and scorched a ball 425 feet, clear out of the park. While the AL team only marked three runs from Stanton and Buxton’s heroics, that ended up being all they needed to end the game in their ninth consecutive All-Star win.
The National League didn’t just let the AL have the victory, though. The NL looked strong in the first inning, with Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw pitching a perfect inning ahead of the NL’s two hits. An RBI single from Mookie Betts got the NL on the board, while a follow-up solo homer from Paul Goldschmidt brought the NL ahead by two.
While this win takes the AL to nine straight victories in the Midsummer Classic, things aren’t dire for the NL in the grand scheme of things. The NL famously dominated the All-Star game throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and the overall score between the two leagues is still close: 47 AL wins, 43 NL wins, and 2 draws.
Next year, the All-Star game will take place in Seattle at T-Mobile Park. Of course, the AL hopes to extend the win streak to ten games, but it’s never too late for the NL to break their losing streak with a game of well-played baseball.
At the end of the day, the All-Star game isn’t really about winning or losing. It’s just a fun way to celebrate the sport and embrace the best players in the Major Leagues.