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July 18, 2018 [LINK / comment]

AL wins a classic Midsummer Classic

The 2018 All Star Game was a true classic, very close throughout and going into extra innings (one). It set a record for the number of home runs in an All Star Game, ten! After last night, Nationals Park is liable to get a reputation for being slugger-friendly. Starting pitcher Max Scherzer did fine, with four strikeouts over two innings, but he gave up a home run to Aaron Judge and was on the hook for a possible loss until Trevor Story (of the Rockies) hit a solo homer in the seventh inning to tie the game 2-2. A crucial sequence of the game came in the top of the eighth inning when Jean Segura (of the Mariners) hit a pop foul into the NL dugout and first baseman Joey Votto failed to catch it. Right after that, Segura hit a three-run homer and the AL took a 5-2 lead. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Scooter Gennett (of the Reds) hit a two-run homer to tie the game 5-5. But it the top of the tenth, Alex Bregman and George Springer (both Astros) hit back-to-back solo homers, and Ross Stripling (of the Dodgers) was charged with a third earned run. Joey Votto homered in the bottom of the tenth, partly atoning for his earlier error, but it wasn't enough and the American League won the All Star Game once again, this time by a score of 8-6. Bregman was named All Star Game MVP.

Bryce Harper, champion of the Home Run Derby, struck out in both at bats. The first time he got behind in the count and then swung at a low curve ball for strike three. The second time he was called out on a pitch that may have touched the outside corner.

Attendance at the All Star Game was 43,843, exactly 145 more than had attended the Home Run Derby the night before. The highest-ever attendance at Nationals Park was 45,966 on October 12, 2012, when the Nats lost to the Cardinals 9-7 in NLDS Game 5.

Dodger Stadium to host 2020 ASG

I missed the news a couple months ago that Dodger Stadium was selected to to host the All Star Game in 2020; see MLB.com. It will be only the second such event in that stadium, which is now 56 years old! The Annual chronology page has been updated with that info, along with this year's ASG score.

Diagram tweaks

I made a few more tweaks to the SunTrust Park diagrams, such as making the ends of the upper decks more accurate. The roof on both ends has some irregular angles, something of a puzzle. In addition, I made a very small tweak to the Nationals Park diagram: including the new Devil's Backbone Lodge, located under the light tower at the north end of the upper deck. While doing that, I realized that the light tower was wider than I thought, and has prominent diagonal support beams on either end.

COMMENT by: KEN WH, of Springfield, VA on Jul 24, 2018 11:46 AM
Nationals Park is a launching pad if it is hot and humid as it was for the all star game. In April and May guys will think a ball is out and they stay in the park. July and August pop flies can almost get out of the stadium. They dug down to build the field so it is below street level. The ball really needs to be hit high to be effected by the winds.

Posted (or last updated or commented upon): 24 Jul 2018, 11: 46 AM

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