ARLINGTON, Texas — This will forever be known as the debut celebration for Pittsburgh Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes, but Shohei Ohtani reminded everyone once again Tuesday night at the All-Star Game that he’s still the best player in the world, while Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran’s fantastic season added a new chapter.
The American League won the All-Star Game 5-3, with Duran joining Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski as the only Boston Red Sox outfielders to win the MVP award.
Yet everyone was still talking about Skenes, even after he pitched only the first inning of the game without a strikeout.
He arrived in town on Sunday with his famous girlfriend Livvy Dunne and left with everyone at Globe Life Field thinking the All-Star Game could become an annual event.
Skenes was surprised to learn that he had grown up watching and idolizing these All-Stars, and now he was one of them. On Monday night, he sat next to Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow and Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds at the Home Run Derby. On Tuesday night, after pitching one inning, he sat next to Atlanta veteran starter Chris Sale on the bench and had dinner in the clubhouse with Glasnow and starters Hunter Greene of the Cincinnati Reds and Logan Webb of the San Francisco Giants.
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“I think that’s probably the coolest thing about it,” Skenes said. “I think the coolest thing about it is that they’ve been so accepting and welcomed me into the clubhouse with open arms, and they’ve been super supportive, they’ve seen my start. It’s been really cool.
“I definitely feel like one of them.”
While most players leave after completing the All-Star Game, Skenes opted to stay and watched Ohtani hit a 400-foot home run in the third inning for three runs.
“I think I’ve been answering questions about Shohei at All-Star Games for four or five years now,” said All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, Ohtani’s teammate. “I still don’t have the words to describe what he does. We always talked about him as a pitcher and a hitter, and now he’s coming off his second Tommy John recovery, and he’s still going out there and being the best player in the game.
“So it’s really amazing.”
Skenes, who gave up a home run to Ohtani last month, was grateful to be able to be Ohtani’s teammate one night and watch him battle someone else.
“It was really cool to see him do that,” Skenes said. “Really cool to see him go at it and meet him and stuff.
“I don’t know of any batsman I’ve ever faced in my career who was better than him.
“So it was surreal to be able to play with him in a dugout.”
The NL players shared similar sentiments about Skenes, talking to him about his blazing fastball, his splinker pitch, his background as an Air Force Academy cadet and his current rise as one of the best rookie pitchers in history.
“It was great talking to him,” Webb said. “I talked to a lot of pitchers and learned a lot from guys.”
What did he learn from Skenes?
“I wish I could,” Webb said with a laugh, “but I don’t throw 102.”
Skenes’ coming-out party went off without a hitch on the field. He opened the game by inducing a lazy fly-out of leadoff hitter Steve Kwan, who is batting .352 in the major leagues. Gunnar Henderson, who is batting .286 with 28 homers, was the next victim, with a 50-mph bouncer to the mound.
Then we came to Juan Soto.
Soto battled Skenes for seven pitches, walking when Skenes missed the ball with an 84.7 mph curveball, then again with a 100 mph fastball.
“I tried to get him deep,” Soto said. “No lie.”
Up stepped Aaron Judge, the American League home run champion who leads the major leagues with 34 homers. Skenes threw a 99.7-mph fastball. Judge swung and hit a routine grounder to third.
Skenes’ night was over.
“That was really cool,” Skenes said.
Which field will he remember most?
“Probably the first pitch,” he said, “just being there. I don’t think I passed out when I was there, but I was pretty close. It was cool to be up on that mound, but just to be able to share this with my family and have them here and just experience it.”
It will certainly be a night Duran will never forget, with a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fifth inning in his first at-bat. The homer allowed him to emphasize his advocacy for mental health, which he struggled with early in his career. He wears a jersey under his Red Sox jersey that reads “[Expletive] ’em’ and held up the MVP trophy with the text “Still Alive” written on his wrapped wrist.
Now he has some hardware too.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Duran said, “but honestly, I couldn’t stop thinking about my family. It’s a surreal moment. …
“I mean, All-Star Game, first home run, All-Star Game MVP. I’m just so thankful. It’s hard to put into words.
“It won’t hit me until I try to go to sleep tonight.
‘Who knows if I’ll be able to sleep tonight.’
The only All-Star you can be sure won’t be sleeping is AL starter Corbin Burnes. He didn’t arrive at the ballpark until Tuesday morning and has spent the past two days with his wife, son and newborn twin daughters. He pitched one inning and immediately flew home to Phoenix, planning to spend the rest of the All-Star break with his family.
“They’re just over two weeks old,” Burnes said, “so it was good to get home and see them. The last time I saw them they were a few days old. It was hard to tell them apart then. I’m glad I can tell them apart now.
“So I go back, change some diapers, give the girls some bottles and spend as much time with them as possible before I go back.”
Of course, it would have been easy for Burnes to skip the All-Star Game. He didn’t have to be here. Everyone would have understood.
“I couldn’t do that,” he said. “Every year my wife says, ‘You never know when it’s your last time.’ So when you get the honor of coming, I think you should represent not only Major League Baseball, but the team that I’m a part of.
“I wanted to enjoy the experience.”
It was an evening that few will forget.
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