Josiah Gray Throws Scoreless Inning To Help NL Win All-Star Game For First Time Since 2012

Josiah Gray Throws Scoreless Inning To Help NL Win All-Star Game For First Time Since 2012

by | Jul 12, 2023 | 5TH SLOT

Josiah “Sway” Gray throws a scoreless third as great pitching and clutch hitting get the National League their first win in an All-Star Game since 2012.

 

 

Ken Griffey Jr. who was one of the group of 2001 Mariners honored before the game and the lead ambassador for this year’s All-Star Week got the night going by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.

Him, along with the entire city of Seattle and their fans put on a great show for the sports 93rd game.

The tone was set on defense by Dusty Baker’s American League defense in the first inning with catches at the wall by Adolis Garcia and  Randy Arozarena.

Marcus Semien, who started the game for the second time in his career, fielded the final out of the inning.

 

Semien led off the bottom half of the first of his two groundouts on the night.

He was one of five Texas Rangers to start the game and one of six to be on the field at once when Nathan Eovaldi pitched the second inning.

That made them the first team since the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951 to have six of their players on the All-Star Game field at once.

Gray faced three of those Rangers in the scoreless third inning he threw last night.

He got a flyout, strikeout then forced Marcus Semien to ground out to end both their nights.

Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts went 0-for-2, but he received high praise from the best in the game, Shohei Ohtani.

“He (Mookie Betts) is so versatile,” Ohtani told reporters when asked which All-Star impressed him the most.

 

“He can play outfield, play the middle infield, he is very, very talented.

The National League would grab the lead a few innings later and after the A.L. tied the game Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Diaz, who was given the games MVP award homered in his only at-bat in the top of the 8th.

The tying runner was in scoring position in the ninth, but Craig Kimbriel would strand the runner by striking out Jose Rameriez.

The last time the National League won the All-Star Game was 11 years ago when now Braves third base coach Ron Washington was managing the American League and penciled in Derek Jeter to bat leadoff and play short.

Arlington, Texas will be the host for next year’s midsummer classic so let’s hope we can best the six MLBbro All-Stars we had this go around.