PHILADELPHIA, PA — A dominant pitching performance saw the American League deliver a solid win over the National League, 4-0, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
Cody Bellinger earned All-Star Game MVP honors after delivering a two-run single during a three-run first inning that put the American League in control from the outset. Yankees teammate Ben Rice followed with an RBI single later in the inning, giving the AL a 3-0 advantage before many of the 40,000-plus fans had settled into their seats.
The early offense proved more than enough for the American League pitching staff, which combined to throw the first All-Star Game shutout since 2013. American League pitchers allowed just three hits while striking out a record 15 batters in a dominant collective performance.
National League starter Cristopher Sánchez, pitching in his home ballpark as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, encountered trouble immediately despite striking out two batters in the opening inning as the American League sent eight hitters to the plate.
The National League offense never found a rhythm against a parade of American League pitchers. Starter Dylan Cease set the tone with a scoreless first inning before a string of relievers continued to silence NL hitters throughout the night. The National League never advanced a runner far enough to seriously threaten the shutout.
Miguel Vargas added the game's final run with a solo home run in the eighth inning, extending the American League lead to 4-0.
One of the brightest individual pitching performances belonged to National League reliever Justin Wrobleski, who struck out five batters over two scoreless innings after entering in relief.
The victory gives the American League its 11th All-Star win in the last 13 meetings.
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