Ohtani and Skenes shine early but Duran steals MVP lifting the American League to a 5-3 All-Star win

National League All Star Shohei Ohtani is all smiles after hitting a three-run homerun over the right-center field wall in the top of the third inning. Photo by Getty Images.

ARLINGTON, TX – A new era of baseball is dawning as 39 first-time All-Stars made their appearances Tuesday night in the midsummer classic. Prevalent among the youth movement was rookie National League (NL) starting pitcher Paul Skenes who lived up to his hype to start the game and Jarren Duran go-ahead two-run homer late won the game for the American League (AL) 5-3 at Global Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Duran led the AL with two RBIs and was the only player to hit a home run for his five-hit squad. Shohei Ohtani led the NL with three RBIs and was their only player with a homer for his 10-hit team.

“It’s kind of hard to put into words,” said Duran. “I mean, All-Star game, first home run, All-Star game MVP. I’m just very thankful. It’s hard to put into words. It won’t hit me until I try to go to sleep tonight.”

Despite only 11 appearances this season, Pirates rookie phenom Skenes took the mound to start the game. Fans were on the edge of their seats anxiously hoping an AL player could get on base so they could see the highly anticipated hottest pitcher in baseball against its best slugger, Yankees man-mountain Aaron Judge who was batting fourth.

After his Yankee teammate Juan Soto took sat on a full count 100-mph fastball for a walk, the six-foot, seven-inch 280-pound Judge stepped to the plate as the entire stadium was on the edge of their seats for this epic matchup. Sadly, the hype was over in the blink of an eye as Judge grounded out on a Skenes first-pitch fastball.

“I was trying to take him deep,” said Soto of Skenes during a midgame duo interview next to Judge. “But after two strikes I was trying to work the at-bat because I wanted to make sure he faced him too, so I got my job done.”

Despite pitching only one inning, the gifted rookie flamethrower impressed getting two of the top three home run hitters in the league out in Judge and Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson. His scorching fastball topped out at over 100mph and his hybrid splinker, had a movement and velocity that was downright majestic.

While many All-Star starting pitchers usually leave after their inning of work, the 22-year-old Skenes stayed to soak it all in. He ate and chatted with fellow pitchers Hunter Greene, Logan Webb, and Dodgers ace Tyler Glasnow.

“I think the coolest part about it is they’re so accepting and welcomed me with open arms in the clubhouse,” said Skenes. “They’re super supportive, watched my start. It was really cool.”

In the top of the third inning, the NL got some run support when Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani blasted a historic three-run 417-foot bomb, that gave the NL a 3-0 lead. It was Ohtani’s first-ever home run in the All-Star game, it was the first home run by a Dodger in the game since 1996 and it was the first time a player was a winning pitcher (Ohtani, 2021) and also hit a home run in the midsummer classic.

“In general, I haven’t really hit well in the All-Star game,” said Ohtani. “I’m just relieved I put a really good ball in play.”

The NL’s lead was short-lived with Soto smacking a double off of Webb to deep center that scored two, cutting the AL lead 3-2. After Aaron Judge grounded out again, Guardians utility man David Fry was brought in to pinch hit and shot a laser to left-center field scoring Soto to tie the game 3-3.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, SoCal-native Hunter Greene (Notre Dame H.S., Sherman Oaks) replaced Cubs rookie, Japanese star Shota Imanaga. Greene got his first two batters to fly out before giving up a single. Up stepped Duran to the plate. After sitting on a first-pitch fastball strike over the plate, the Red Sox outfielder launched Greene’s 86-mph split-finger pitch 429 feet into the right field stands giving the AL the go-ahead 5-3 lead.

Neither team would score the rest of the game as the AL won for their 10th time in their last 11th meetings. Duran was crowned with the game’s Ted Williams MVP award, the greatest Red Sox player of all time, a fact that didn’t go over the 27-year-olds head in his first All-Star game.

“That’s an honor. Who else would I want to try and follow in the footsteps of,” said Duran of the Boston legend.

It was a fitting ending for the Red Sox teammates after Boston pitcher Tanner Houck gave up the three-run blast to Ohtani earlier in the game, only to be redeemed by his teammate's game-winning blast.

The All-Star game moves to Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia for the 2025 Midsummer Classic.