SAN DIEGO — Johnny Cueto stood in a Petco Park hallway after his All-Star start ended in the second inning. He spoke to reporters, lamenting two fastballs he left up. Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez made him pay, driving in three runs to hang a 4-2 All-Star Game loss on Cueto and the National League. Here’s how another Tuesday night in San Diego played out.
The big moment
Kris Bryant took Chris Sale deep on his third pitch of the game, but the National League never led again after a two-run homer by Perez. It came only six pitches after Hosmer tied the game with the first of two home runs off Cueto.
The next biggest moment
David Ortiz played in his final All-Star Game on Tuesday, receiving a handful of standing ovations to celebrate his illustrious career. This was his last ovation as he departed the All-Star stage for the final time.
Buster Posey
The Giants catcher planned to squat for four innings on Tuesday night, but was replaced by Wilson Ramos after three innings. He went 0-for-1 in two at-bats, grounding a ball off Corey Kluber in the second inning that Jose Altuve ran forward to pick and throw out Posey.
Posey walked against Aaron Sanchez in his second at-bat, eventually scoring the National League’s second — and final — run.
Brandon Belt
Despite waking up Tuesday morning with a stomach virus, Belt found his way onto the All-Star stage in the eighth inning. He battled with Yankees closer Andrew Miller, taking a tantializing slider to work the count 3-2.
He flew out to left field on the next pitch.
At the plate
It’s ironic that in one of the least hitter-friendly parks in the country, home runs were the storyline early on. Bryant gave his NL teammates an early lead, beefing up the National League lead with more than just a run on the scoreboard. In 86 All-Star Games, the team that’s scored first has won 51 times. Not Tuesday, however.
Cueto’s former Royals teammates tagged him for a pair of home runs in the second inning, including an impressive opposite-field swing by Hosmer to left field. After Mookie Betts reached base on a swinging bunt, Perez deposited a fastball over the plate into the left field seats.
Hosmer stretched the American League’s lead to three when he singled to left field, deflecting off Bryant en route to scoring Edwin Encarnacion. Marcell Ozuna capitalized on a fourth-inning rally for the NL, singling home Buster Posey with no outs. But Carlos Gonzalez lined out and Addison Russell grounded into an inning-ending double play to evaporate another scoring chance.
Facing a 4-2 deficit in the eighth inning, Jonathan Lucroy, Starling Marte and Adam Duvall loaded the bases against Yankees reliever Andrew Miller. That brought up rookie Aledmys Diaz to face Astros right-hander Will Harris. With the crowd roaring, Diaz struck out looking while Harris painted the outside corner.
NL on the mound
NL Manager Terry Collins planned for Cueto to throw two innings, but the right-hander didn’t earn an outing that long. He threw 32 pitches, and was taken out after allowing his fifth hit, the last by Mookie Betts in the second inning. The right-hander lasted only 1 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on two home runs. Jose Ferenandez entered and allowed the AL’s fourth run, but the National League cruised from that point.
Drew Pomeranz allowed a hit in a scoreless fourth inning, and Julio Teheran joined Max Scherzer to throw two immaculate frames. Jon Lester and Mark Melancon eached walked a batter in the seventh inning, but held the AL scoreless.
Fernando Rodney doffed his cap after recording two outs in the eighth inning, acknowledging a San Diego crowd that spent the beginning of the season cheering for him as the Padres closer.
AL on the mound
Sale and Sanchez had the only blemishes on the American League’s box score. Corey Kluber pitched a perfect second inning, and Cole Hamels worked around two hits to navigate the third inning. Sanchez did well to limit the fourth-inning damage after the first three hitters reached base. Only the one run scored off the Blue Jays pitcher, and Jose Quintana, Kelvin Herrera and Dellin Betances built a scoreless bridge to the eighth inning.
That’s when the NL staged a rally off Miller that was extinguished by Harris, just barely. Orioles closer Zach Britton worked around a leadoff single from David Murphy in the ninth to seal another All-Star win for AL.
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