National League Ends Nine-Year Drought, Beats AL 3-2

It's been nine years, but the National League finally came out a 3-2 winner of the 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at T-Mobile Park in Seatle Tuesday.

Colorado Rockies' Elias Diaz hit a two-run homer in the eighth that proved the game-winner.

Diaz, in his first All-Star Game at-bat, hit the shot off pitcher Felix Bautista. He was named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player.

The American League took a 1-0 lead in the second inning before the National League tied in the fourth. The AL came back to move into a 2-1 lead in the sixth.

Craig Kimbrel came in to close out the ninth inning. A fly ball that almost knotted the score by Wander Franco was caught. Kimbrel then struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He walked Kyle Tucker and Julio Rodriguez. But Kimbrel toughened up and struck out Jose Ramirez to end the game.

Pristine White Baseballs Under Consideration

Pristine white baseballs that would not require rubbing are under consideration by Major League Baseball as a way to solve the issue of pitchers using sticky substances for better grip.

“We continue to work with the people at Dow Chemical on developing a tacky ball,” commissioner Rob Manfred told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday.

“It would literally eliminate all -- well, not all -- but many of the variables in the current process. It would come out of a sealed foil pouch at the ballpark. No individual mudding.”

The Major League Baseball Players Association would like the league to soften the pitch timer rule as the 2023 season approaches the playoffs, but Commissioner Manfred is leaning toward keeping the current one in place.

“I don’t think there are too many folks that want to have a new rule affect a game in a pennant chase or in the playoffs,” MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said Tuesday. “There are adjustments that can be beneficial.”

Major League Baseball

All-Star Game

National League 3, American League 2

Wednesday, July 12 Schedule

No games scheduled

Thursday, July 13 Schedule

No games scheduled

Friday, July 14 Schedule (All Times Central)

San Diegp at Philadelphia, 5:05 p.m.

Miami at Baltimore, 6:05 p.m.

San Francisco at Pittsburgh, 6:05 p.m.

Arizona at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Toronto, 6:10 p.m.

Milwaukee at Cincinnati, 6:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Atlanta, 6:20 p.m.

Boston at Chicago Cubs, 7:05 p.m.

Cleveland at Texas, 7:05 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Kansas City, 7:10 p.m.

Washington at St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.

New York Yankees at Colorado, 7:40 p.m.

Houston at Los Angeles Angels, 8:38 p.m.

Minnesota at Oakland, 8:40 p.m.

Detroit at Seattle, 9:10 p.m.