Baseball

MLB All-Star Game: Shohei Ohtani Contributes to NL's Win Over AL

Ohtani scored the first run in the MLB All-Star Game. After the AL rallied from a 6-0 deficit to tie the game, the NL won it in the first tiebreaker swing-off.

by
Ed Odeven
July 16, 2025

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff single in the first inning and scored the first run of the 95th MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta. High-fives and smiles were abundant in the National League dugout ― and baseball fans watching the game in Japan enjoyed an upbeat moment on a cloudy morning.

Appearing in his fifth consecutive Midsummer Classic on Tuesday night, July 15, Ohtani wrapped up the second inning by hitting a groundout to first. He came close to clubbing a homer to right field during the at-bat, but his hard swing produced a foul ball.

Ohtani went 1-for-2 on the night.

"I just wanted to be aggressive, no matter whether I end up hitting a home run or striking out," Ohtani said, according to Kyodo News. "My base hit wasn't an impressive one, but it was good."

He added, "I had a good time getting to know players I've seen only on TV and understanding their personalities."

The NL led 2-0 after the first inning at Truist Park and extended its lead to 6-0 in the sixth.

What was a one-sided game was upended in the seventh, with the American League scoring four runs. The AL added two more runs in the ninth to tie it at 6-6.

After 295 pitches ― thrown by a combined 24 pitchers (13 NL, 11 AL) ― and nine full innings completed, the MLB All-Star Game shifted to a first-ever home run swing-off to determine the winner. This tiebreaker format was included in the collective bargaining agreement in 2022.

How the Home Run Swing-Off Played Out

AL manager Aaron Boone (Yankees) and NL skipper Dave Roberts (Dodgers) each chose three batters to participate in the swing-off.

For the AL, Brent Rooker (Athletics), Randy Arozarena (Mariners) and Jonathan Aranda (Rays) were picked to take three swings each. And for the NL, Kyle Stowers (Marlins), Kyle Schwarber (Phillies) and Pete Alonso (Mets) received the assignment.

Batting first, Rooker smacked two homers. He was followed by Stowers, who hit one, and the swing-off participants alternated in order, AL followed by NL.

Arozarena then clouted a homer to give the AL a 3-1 lead in the swing-off.

Then Schwarber stepped into the batter's box and smacked homers on each of his three swings. The NL now led 4-3.

Aranda didn't homer in his three allocated swings. Leading at that point, Alonso didn't bat, and the 4-3 swing-off triumph was officially recorded as a 7-6 victory for the National League. In other words, the six runs plus the tiebreaker bonus run for winning the swing-off.

"It was awesome," All-Star Game MVP Schwarber said, describing the home run swing-off, according to MLB.com. "The guys were really into it. They were yelling, screaming, cheering me on every swing. When that last one [went] over, they were all pumped. It was a lot of fun."

Yankees coach Travis Chapman tossed pitches to AL batters during the swing-off. Dodgers coach Dino Ebel had the assignment for NL batters.

Run Producers in the MLB All-Star Game

For the NL, second baseman Katel Marte (Diamondbacks) drove in Ohtani and Ronald Acuna Jr (Braves) with a two-run double to right in the first inning off AL starter Tarik Skubal (Tigers).

That 2-0 lead held up until Mets slugger Alonso whacked a three-run homer to right in the sixth on a 1-0 fastball from Kris Bubic (Royals).

Later in the sixth, Corbin Carroll (Diamondbacks) belted a solo homer to right-center to make it 6-0.

With a three-run shot to left-center in the seventh, Rooker cut the lead in the half. Moments later, Bobby Witt Jr (Royals) added an RBI groundout as the AL pulled within 6-4.

In the ninth, Witt delivered a run-scoring double and Steven Kwan (Guardians) hit an infield single with two outs, enabling Witt to score the tying run.

Game Notes

Like his AL counterpart, NL starter Paul Skenes (Pirates) only pitched the first inning. Roberts then called upon longtime Dodgers southpaw Clayton Kershaw, who recently reached the 3,000th strikeout milestone of his career. Kershaw lasted two-thirds of an inning and struck out one.

Ohtani said he was happy to share the MLB All-Star Game experience with Kershaw and Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, a former star for the Atlanta Braves.

"It was a special All-Star Game in the sense that Kershaw pitched today, and obviously Freddie returning to Atlanta," Ohtani told reporters.

Asked about his approach at the plate against Skubal in the first inning, Ohtani said, "My intention in my first at-bat was to hit a homer or strike out. So I was able to kind of squeak a hit there."

After the MLB All-Star Game, Roberts admitted he wasn't ready to see games decided by swing-offs in the regular season.

"I think that it was great for this exhibition, but in the regular season, I don't mind how it plays out in the regular season with the man on second base," he told a news conference, referring to extra-inning games.

NL second baseman Brendan Donovan (Cardinals) was the only All-Star to have more than one hit. He went 2-for-3.

Author: Ed Odeven

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