So the All-Star Game ended in a tie, huh? The way this season’s going, must have been 12-12. Eight home runs between the teams. Everybody ran out of pitching so they called it a night.
Or not.
In the Cape League’s Year of the Hitter, it was the All-Star Game of the Pitcher as the East and West played to a 1-1 tie at Whitehouse Field. The runs scored on a dropped third strike in the eighth and an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.
I couldn’t make it over to Harwich so I watched on Fox College Sports. I thought going in that pitchers had a chance to dominate since they’d each only be out there for an inning. But with the hitters in the league, I thought someone at some point would break through.
Instead, it looked like the game might be headed for a scoreless tie until the West got something — a little something — going in the eighth. Daniel Palka (Georgia Tech) and Jacob May (Coastal Carolina) poked singles through the infield off Brewster’s Tom Windle (Minnesota), and then they executed a double steal to put runners on second and third.
The East got an out at home when second baseman Carlos Asuaje (Nova Southeastern) made a tough play and fired to the plate to get Palka. And it looked like the East would get out of the inning when John Murphy swung threw a low 0-2 pitch. But the ball got away, Murphy ran to first and May scampered home with the go-ahead run.
In the ninth, though, against Dan Slania, the league’s best closer, the East rallied. Alex Blandino (Stanford) singled and took second on a fielder’s choice. Slania got the second out then jumped ahead of Y-D’s Robert Pehl (Washington) 0-2. Pehl worked it back to 2-2, though, and then roped a base hit into left. Blandino raced around with the tying run.
Asuaje was hit by a pitch to put the winning run in scoring position, but Slania struck out Healy to end the game, which was slated to go nine innings regardless of score.
Palka earned MVP honors for the West squad with three hits. Blandino, who was 2-for-3, won the honor for the East.
The real MVPs were the pitchers, as 16 of them tossed scoreless innings. Sean Manaea (Indiana State) didn’t disappoint in getting the start for the West, as he struck out two in the first inning. His teammate Jeff Hoffman (East Carolina) was among the most impressive arms of the night, with his fastball hitting 96. On the East side, Matt Boyd (Oregon State), Kyle Crockett (Virginia) and Ryan Thompson (Franklin Pierce) all pitched hitless frames.
The game was the lowest scoring All-Star Game since 2005, when the East won 1-0 on a run in the ninth. That game was the highlight of a pitching-dominated summer. Eight of the 16 pitchers in that All-Star Game have gone on to the Major Leagues, including Tim Lincecum and Daniel Bard.
If anybody has more observations about the game, feel free to share them in the comments.
Slania threw what should have been strike three to Pehl in the ninth but it was called a ball and Pehl sent the next pitch through the hole between short and third.
Also Mason Robbins looked very good at the plate, displaying a great ability to hit the ball where it is pitched as well as showcasing great hand action.