Shohei Ohtani Homers in 2024 MLB All-Star Game, But the AL Beats the NL

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Thrilling his legions of fans on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, Shohei Ohtani gave the National League a 3-0 lead in the third inning of the 94th MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night, July 16.

The Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter crushed a 2-0 offering from Tanner Houck into the 12th row beyond the right-center field wall.

Houck threw back-to-back balls (split-finger fastball, slider) to Ohtani to start the at-bat. The first-time All-Star for the Boston Red Sox then returned to his splitter, and Ohtani timed it perfectly, sending the 88 mph (141.6 kph) pitch flying 400 feet (about 122 meters).

"I haven't really hit well in the All-Star Game, so I'm just relieved that I put the ball in play," Ohtani, who leads the NL with 29 homers, was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. He added, "I just focused on having a regular at-bat as if I was in the regular season."

Key to Victory in the MLB All-Star Game

That 3-0 lead didn't last for long. The American League scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning, including Juan Soto's two-run double, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Then the AL pulled ahead on a Jarren Duran two-run homer off Hunter Greene (Cincinnati Reds) in the fifth.

Neither team scored again as the AL hung on for a 5-3 victory. The AL has now won 10 of the last 11 Midsummer Classics.

In the low-scoring game, the NL used 11 pitchers and held the AL to five hits. The AL, guided by Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, went through nine pitchers, who scattered 10 hits.

A big storyline for this game was the influx of first-time All-Stars (39 in total).

Red Sox outfielder Duran, who replaced New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge in center field in the fifth inning, was selected as the All-Star Game MVP.

Ohtani, making his first All-Star appearance as a National League player after three straight for the AL, walked in his first plate appearance in the first inning. After hitting the homer in the third, he struck out in his final at-bat in the fifth. 

In 2007, Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player to hit a home run in an MLB All-Star Game. He crushed a Chris Young fastball to right-center field in the fifth inning. The ball bounced off the AT&T Park wall and rolled beyond the reach of NL right fielder Ken Griffey Jr. 

Ichiro sprinted around the bases for the first inside-the-park homer in All-Star Game history. He went 3-for-3 in the AL's 5-4 win and was named All-Star Game MVP.

Imanaga Makes MLB All-Star Game Debut

On Tuesday, Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga, making his All-Star Game debut, was the NL's fourth pitcher of the night. Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes, who is 6-0 this season, started the game, working a hitless first inning. He was the first rookie pitcher to start an MLB All-Star Game since Dodgers fireballer Hideo Nomo earned the honor in 1995.

After Skenes, Max Fried (Atlanta Braves) and Logan Webb (San Francisco Giants) each pitched one inning before Imanaga got his chance.

Imanaga pitched a scoreless fourth inning, including one strikeout.

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• Cubs Left-Hander Shota Imanaga Named to the NL All-Star Team
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Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.