Strikeouts have been a prevailing factor in DTBL All-Star Games basically dating back to when we started using OOTP to sim the games. However, whiffs have really been kicked into overdrive the past five Mid-Summer Classics. All previous iterations pale in comparison to what happened at The Landing Pad, home of Charlie’s Thunder Choppers, in the 24th annual DTBL All-Star Game. 36 batters were retired via strikeouts, obliterating the old record of 30 set two years ago. National Division pitchers struck out 19 hitters while opposing American hurlers racked up 17 K’s. The National All-Stars got the better results from balls that were actually put in play though. Bryce Harper reached base five times, leading the National squad to a 5-2 victory.
While 36 strikeouts is kind of ridiculous, it isn’t completely unbelievable when you look at the season stats of the pitchers on these two rosters. And there are a fair number of All-Star hitters who strikeout at very high rates as well. Yet the end results went way beyond anything that should have been expected. This game was a BABIP inflator with the teams combining to hit .483 on balls in play. Probably a good thing, or runs would have been really scarce.
The starting pitching match-up was identical to the MLB All-Star Game last Tuesday: Chris Sale for the American Division against Max Scherzer for the National Division. Both pitched two scoreless innings in this game, but Scherzer was far more dominant. He retired all six hitters he faced, four via strikeouts. Sale managed to scatter three hits and a walk in his two scoreless frames. In his second inning, the first three batters recorded hits, but Khris Davis threw out Ryan Zimmerman at the plate on a Ryon Healy single to keep the National All-Stars off the board for the time being.
The American Division drew first blood in the top of the third when Salvador Perez homered off Clayton Kershaw. Immediately following that, Kershaw allowed consecutive doubles to Corey Seager and Marcell Ozuna, which gave the American team a 2-0 lead. That score would hold until the fifth. Dallas Keuchel retired the first two hitters in the top of the fifth, but then ran into trouble. Bryce Harper walked for the second of three times in the game. Mike Trout then knocked him in with a double to deep right-center. That cut the American lead in half heading to the second half of the game.
One of the most pivotal moments of the game came in the bottom of the fifth. The American All-Stars were looking to break things open against Carlos Martinez. They loaded the bases thanks to a pair of walks and a Trea Turner pinch hit single. Giancarlo Stanton came to the plate looking to unload the bases. Instead, he grounded out to second to end the inning. The Americans put a couple more runners on base via singles in the sixth, but that rally ended on a strikeout of Chris Owings by Corey Knebel. The game was delayed due to rain for 66 minutes during the top of the 6th. To the best of my recollection, this was the first rain delay in a DTBL All-Star Game. Eventually, the game moved to the seventh with the American All-Stars still ahead 2-1.
Greg Holland took the mound for the American Division to start the seventh. He did not fare well. Carlos Correa started the inning with a walk and immediately scored on a Charlie Blackmon double to tie the game. Harper then walked yet again. Holland managed to get Mike Trout to fly out and Aaron Judge to strikeout and was on the verge of escaping further damage. But Jose Altuve knocked a clutch single up the middle to score the go-ahead run. That would prove to be the difference.
The National Division added some insurance in the ninth inning off the usually unhittable Craig Kimbrel. Harper reached base safely for the fifth time, starting the inning with a bomb over the right field fence. Trout made it back-to-back home runs with a 410 foot blast to left-center. Kenley Jansen made quick work of the American team in the bottom of the ninth, striking out a pair and then getting Turner to ground out to end the game. The National Division recorded a 5-2 victory. Corey Knebel picked up the win, Greg Holland took the loss and Jansen earned the save.
Bryce Harper was an easy selection as the game’s Most Valuable Player. He reached base in all five plate appearances, going 2 for 2 with 3 walks, a home run and two runs scored. Perhaps most notably, he did not strike out. Very few other hitters in this game could make that claim. Khris Davis wore the golden sombrero, striking out four times. Another hitter with a less than spectacular game was Aaron Judge who struck out three times and hit into a double play. Some of the top pitching performances belonged to Scherzer and his Nationals, and National Division, teammate Stephen Strasburg who combined to strike out seven batters in three innings. On the American side, Roberto Osuna was the top pitcher, striking out all four batters he faced.
This was the second straight victory for the National Division. They now hold a 13-11 lead in the all-time DTBL All-Star series. Next year will mark the 25th Anniversary of the league and the 25th All-Star Game. Perhaps fittingly, Kevin’s Kings will have the honor of hosting that milestone game.