The 2024 MLB All-Star Game in Texas was an absolute blast. The festivities got started with Shohei Ohtani blasting a three-run homer off Tanner Houck in the third inning.
Earlier in the game, history-making Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes had himself a solid first inning. Skenes is the first rookie to start a MLB All-Star Game since back in 1995.
As the game continued, the American League pulled away with five consecutive after falling down 3-0 via the Ohtani homer. Here are the 10 winners and losers from Tuesday’s fun exhibition game in Texas.
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Winner: Paul Skenes, Pittsbugh Pirates
Paul Skenes enjoyed an historic start to his career (6-0 record, 1.90 ERA) before the break. He became the first rookie since Hideo Nomo back in 1995 to start a MLB All-Star Game. Skenes did not disappoint. He faced Gunnar Henderson, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in the first inning. Only Soto (walk) reached base. A total of 11 of Skenes’ 16 pitches went for strikes. This kid is absolutely legit.
Loser: Tanner Houck, Boston Red Sox
Fans in Boston had to know this was coming. After a brilliant first half (2.54 ERA, 1.03 WHIP), Houck was in over his head in the MLB All-Star Game. He was forced to face the game’s best player, Shohei Ohtani, in the third innning with two on. The end result was an absolutely massive 400-foot blast from Ohtani to excite fans in Texas. Heck, even Houck had his reaction to the eye-opening homer.
Winner: Juan Soto, New York Yankees
Soto’s impending free agency was a lot of the talk heading into Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game. After all, he’s already proven himself to be one of the best players in the game. That came out in droves with the American League down 3-0 in the third inning. Soto parked a double against San Francisco Giants starter Logan Webb to put his squad on the board.
Loser: Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants
Logan Webb is not a flash in the pan. He finished as a Cy Young runner-up last season and has been consistently good since first jumping on to the scene back in 2021. Just don’t tell that to Juan Soto, who belted a two-run double off Webb in the third. He gave up a total of three runs in a mere inning of work.
Winner: Mason Miller, Oakland Athletics
The 25-year-old Miller was one of the most-dominating pitchers in baseball leading up to the MLB All-Star game. The closer pitched to a 2.27 ERA and 0.86 WHIP while striking out 70 batters in 39.2 innings. The top of the National League lineup found that out Tuesday night. Miller struck out Shohei Ohtani and Trai Turner, completing a one-two-thee inning in the process. Miller could very well be dealt ahead of the MLB trade deadline. He put his talent on display in Texas. That’s for sure.
Loser: Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds
Despite his cowboy look ahead of the MLB All-Star Game, this young Reds starter did not have it. That included the 24-year-old yielding a two-run blast to Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran with the game nodded at five in the fifth inning.
Winner: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
MLB’s best player. One of the greatest ever. Dominating from the plate and the bump. While Ohtani is not pitching this season, he continues to show how he can electrify hitting the ball. That included a three-run blast in the third inning. It traveled 400 feet and was absolutely launched. Unfortunately, this represented the NL’s only runs of the MLB All-Star Game.
Loser: Teoscar Hernández, Los Angeles Dodgers
A day after winning the MLB HR Derby, Hernandez just didn’t have it. He failed the National league by failing to reach be in two at-bats. That included a strikeout. In reality, the entire National League struggled from the plate outside of Shohei Ohtani. Hernandez was no different.
Winner: Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
Jarren Duran was the talk of Boston leading up to the MLB All-Star Game. The youngster leads the American league in second-base hits (27) and triples (10) while stealing 22 bases and hitting another 10 homers. Hunter Greene found this out first-hand in the fifth inning with Duran blasting a go-ahead two-run homer in what was then a 3-3 game.
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Loser: National League hitters
Shohei Ohtani’s three-run blast represented the National League’s only runs of the game. All said, they scored those three wins on 10 hits while striking out nine times. This also represents the NL’s 10th loss in the last 11 MLB All-Star games. Ouch.