Phillies manager and players shine as National League wins All-Star Game originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Rob Thomson became the sixth Phillies manager to direct an All-Star team Tuesday night at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. And, if past was prologue, that boded well for the National League’s chances of ending its nine-game losing streak in the Midsummer Classic.
See, the NL almost always wins with a Phillies manager running the game from the bench: Eddie Sawyer in 1951. Dallas Green in 1981. Paul Owens in 1984. Jim Fregosi in 1994. Charlie Manuel in 2010.
And now, after the National League’s 3-2 win in the 93rd renewal of the rivalry, Thomson can add his name to that list.
The only time a Phillies manager didn’t get to celebrate after the game was 2009 when Manuel’s NL team was edged by a run.
Thomson had only two of his own players on the roster, but both contributed.
Right fielder Nick Castellanos was right in the middle of the winning rally in the top of the eighth. And Craig Kimbrel came in in the bottom of the ninth to earn the save after putting the tying and winning runs on base.
Kimbrel opened the ninth by retiring Wander Franco of the Rays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays. But Kyle Tucker of the Astros walked, bringing hometown favorite Julio Rodriguez of the Mariners to the plate. Chants of Ju-li-o! Ju-li-o! Ju-li-o! echoed through the stands as he also worked a base on balls to put runners on first and second.
But Kimbrel reached back to strike out Jose Ramirez of the Guardians to nail down the win.
“That was a lot of fun. “I hate that I walked two guys, but getting to face Rodriguez there and seeing this crowd get up and get excited, I took a moment on the back of the mound and took it in. It was pretty cool to see,” Kimbrel told Tom Verducci on the field afterwards. “I’m glad I was able to get the job done. It’s been a while since the National League hasn’t gotten a win, so it feels pretty good.”
Kimbrel has over 400 career saves. He’s won a world championship. He’ll be a serious Hall of Fame candidate after he retires. But he said his first All-Star save is special.
“This year has been something else,” he said. “The milestones I’ve been able to get to and surpass. The rapport I’ve had with my (Phillies) teammates. They’ve been excited for me and rooted me on all year long. I’ve got to pinch myself. It seems like it’s been one thing after another this year. Hopefully I can keep on going and we’ll get on a good roll and play good baseball for the rest of the year.”
Castellanos, who had entered the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth and stayed in to play center, led off the eighth against hulking Orioles righthander Felix Bautista. After fouling off four straight pitches at one point he worked a walk and then moved up to second on a wild pitch. He was getting a good lead off second, forcing Bautista to pay attention to him, when Rockies catcher Elias Diaz hit a two-run homer to left to put the National League ahead for the first time.
Diaz was named the Ted Williams All-Star Most Valuable Player.
The American League had won the last nine All-Star Games. The last time the NL prevailed was 2012. Kimbrel, then representing the Braves, faced Asdrubel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler and struck them both out in the 8-0 NL win at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium.
In their history, the Phillies have been to the World Series eight times. They’ve only won twice. But the following year, when their manager gets to go to the All-Star Game, the Phillies are darn near perfect.
In other observations from a starry, starry night. . .
— Rangers righthander Nathan Eovaldi has the longest scoreless streak (29 2/3 innings) of any pitcher in the big league this season, but he wasn’t sharp when he pitched the second inning. He gave up two singles and was pitching behind in the count much of the time; he went 2-0 to the first two batters he faced. Maybe he was nervous. Maybe it was just one of those nights.
Or maybe he was a little distracted because he was one of several players wearing a microphone and was carrying on a running conversation with the FOX broadcast booth while simultaneously facing some of baseball’s best hitters.
Later in the game, San Diego’s Josh Hader also pitched while being mic’d up.
— Most of the focus, as always, was on hitting and pitching. But it was defense that stole the show in the top of the first. Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Braves led off by ripping a long drive to right against Yankees starter Gerrit Cole, but Randy Arozarena from the Rays made a leaping catch at the base of the wall to take away extra bases.
Acuna’s Atlanta teammate Freddie Freeman was up next and he drilled a shot to the left that Adolis Garcia of the Rangers plucked out of the air at the top of the fence.
— Arozarena flashed the leather again in the fourth, leaving his feet again to rob Braves catcher Sean Murphy on the warning track.
— Weird sequence in the top of the seventh. With one out, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. of the Diamondbacks appeared to tie the score at two with a long solo homer to left against Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano. After a review, however, it was ruled that the ball had been just foul.
But when Gurriel came back to the plate, Tigers righthander Michael Lorenzen came out of the bullpen to relieve Romano who, apparently, was experiencing some tightness in his lower back.
— The 2024 All-Star Game will be played at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers. The ’25 site has not been announced yet and the 2026 game will be played at Citizens Bank Park. Major League Baseball settled on that selection earlier than normal as a tribute to late Phillies president Dave Montgomery, who had made it clear that he wanted Philadelphia to host the Midsummer Classic to coincide with the country’s Semiquincentennial celebration.