American League pitchers combined for a three-hitter and the first All-Star Game shutout since 2013, leading to a 4-0 victory over the National League on Tuesday night in Philadelphia. Dylan Cease struck out the side in the first inning, setting the tone for a dominant pitching performance.
Cease and bullpen make history
Cease struck out Kyle Schwarber, Juan Soto, and CJ Abrams around a walk in the first inning, becoming just the seventh pitcher to strike out three in an All-Star opening inning. He joined Hall of Famers Carl Hubbell, Warren Spahn, Jim Palmer, and Pedro Martinez, as well as Dave Stieb and Brad Penny. Cease was followed by 10 relievers who combined to hold the NL to three singles.
The AL pitchers recorded 15 strikeouts, while the NL staff had 12, for a total of 27 strikeouts in the game. The last All-Star shutout was the AL's 2-0 win in 2013 at Citi Field in New York.
Bellinger and Rice lead offense
All-Star MVP Cody Bellinger delivered a two-run single in the first inning off Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez, who struggled through a 34-pitch inning. Ben Rice followed with an RBI single. Miguel Vargas added an eighth-inning home run off Justin Wrobleski, who was pitching on his 26th birthday, for the game's only extra-base hit.
Singles by Juan Soto in the fourth, Pete Crow-Armstrong in the eighth, and Otto Lopez in the ninth were the only hits for the NL, which never advanced a runner past first base.
Missing stars and notable moments
Some star power was absent, with Jacob Misiorowski, Paul Skenes, and Shohei Ohtani unavailable. Only six pitches reached 100 mph, the fewest in an All-Star Game since 2021. Mike Trout, a 12-time All-Star playing in his first All-Star Game since 2019 due to injuries, went 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
“It just took me a little time to soak it all in and enjoy it,” Sánchez said through a translator about his start.
Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero was hit on the left hand by a 97.6 mph sinker from Riley O'Brien in the third inning and left the game immediately. X-rays were negative.
Ceremonies and future games
Managers and starters entered through replica Liberty Bells and signed an oversized lineup card with a feathered quill, reminiscent of the Founding Fathers. Fireworks were set off after the fourth inning to a video of Ray Charles singing "America the Beautiful."
Philadelphia was awarded the 2024 All-Star Game in 2019 to coincide with the US 250th semiquincentennial. The Phillies previously hosted in 1976 and 1996 at Veterans Stadium, and the Athletics in 1943 and 1952 at Shibe Park. Next year's game is scheduled for Wrigley Field in Chicago, the first time since 1990, though it is threatened by possible labor strife.
