Kyle Schwarber powers NL to first ‘swing-off’ win at All-Star Game

ATLANTA — The National League beat the American League 4-3 in the All-Star Game’s first-ever “swing-off” on Tuesday night.
The game was tied 6-6 after nine innings, so the teams competed in a three-man Home Run Derby in which AL manager Aaron Boone selected Brent Rooker, Randy Arozarena and Jonathan Aranda, while NL manager Dave Roberts picked Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso and Kyle Stowers.
Each player got three swings to hit as many home runs as possible. Rooker launched two, while Stowers went 1-for-3. Arozarena hit one before Schwarber sent all three out to give the NL a 4-3 running lead entering the final round.
Aranda then went 0-for-3, clinching the bizarre National League victory — the league’s second All-Star Game win in three years after dropping the previous nine.
Trailing 6-0, the American League mounted a rally in the seventh, as San Diego’s Adrian Morejon allowed a single to Alejandro Kirk and walked Jonathan Aranda. Giants reliever Randy Rodriguez entered and surrendered Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker’s three-run homer. Bobby Witt Jr. later drove in the AL’s fourth run on a groundout.
Byron Buxton and Witt each doubled to pull the AL within one run against San Diego’s Robert Suarez in the ninth. Mets closer Edwin Diaz then entered and retired Jazz Chisholm Jr. before Steven Kwan tied the game with an infield single.
Boston’s Aroldis Chapman retired the side in the bottom of the ninth.
The NL struck first in the home half of the first inning. Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and hometown favorite Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. reached on singles, before Arizona’s Ketel Marte laced a two-run double to right against AL starter Tarik Skubal.
In the sixth, after Fernando Tatis Jr. walked and Brendan Donovan singled, Alonso belted a three-run blast off Kansas City’s Kris Bubic to give the National League a 5-0 advantage.
Casey Mize then replaced Bubic, surrendering a 414-foot solo homer to Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll to extend the margin to six runs.
Making his second All-Star Game start in as many seasons, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes struck out Detroit Tigers Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene in the first before inducing Aaron Judge into a groundout in the ace’s lone inning.