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An all-or-nothing All-Star Game

 
Seattle Mariners shortstop Jean Segura (2) celebrates his three-run homer in the eighth inning during the Major League Baseball All-star Game, Tuesday, July 17, 2018 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Seattle Mariners shortstop Jean Segura (2) celebrates his three-run homer in the eighth inning during the Major League Baseball All-star Game, Tuesday, July 17, 2018 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Published July 18, 2018|Updated July 19, 2018

WASHINGTON — Tuesday's All-Star Game was exciting, dramatic, historic — and perfectly representative of the 2018 season, what with the unprecedented power show, display of blazing arms creating a fan club (25 strikeouts), and the emotion of the late-game twists. And, adding to the modern feel, even a postgame social media controversy.

"Standard operation nowadays, right?'' AL/Astros manager A.J. Hinch said of the play on the field, where his squad pulled off an 8-6 win in 10 innings.

Here are five takeaways:

Power ball

That 10 home runs were hit — four more than any of the previous 88 All-Star Games, last in 1971 — was something. The last time six were hit was 1971, and by the somewhat Fame-ous group of Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente.

That they were hit Tuesday by 10 different players was something else, as that had only happened once previously in the 99 seasons of the live ball era (beginning in 1920), as The Athletic's Jayson Stark pointed out, in an August 2015 Mets-Phillies game.

But even further out of the park?

There never has been a game in major-league history — not one among more than 217,500-plus regular-season, postseason and All-Star games — as ESPN Stats & Info reported, in which at least five different players hit a homer for each team. Never.

Tuesday's AL sluggers: Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Jean Segura, MVP Alex Bregman and George Springer. For the NL: Willson Contreras (off Rays lefty Blake Snell), Trevor Story, Christian Yelich, Sarasota product Scooter Gennett and Joey Votto.

"To kind of empty your tank and hit homers tonight at this event," Hinch said, "is probably the best thing imaginable."

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Drama kings

Monday's home run derby provided some pretty good theater, as hometown star Bryce Harper rallied to win impressively — and perhaps illegally, according to some not-enough-to-doers claiming his dad was throwing pitches quicker than he was allowed.

So how could Tuesday top that?

Well, how about game-tying or go-ahead homers in the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th innings?

That not only hadn't happened in any All-Star Game, but not anywhere in the majors since August 2002, when the Mariners and Blue Jays did so.

There was a time when it looked like Story had the big blow, then Segura, then Gennett, then Bregman and Springer, who went back to back.

For most dramatic, I'd go with Gennett, the Sarasota High product. His was a two-run, one-out, tying, ninth-inning pinch-hit homer in his first All-Star appearance that sent the game to extra innings for the second straight year.

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A good time was had by all

Sometimes compared to the NFL — the No Fun League — for its staid traditions and unwritten rules that discourage expression of emotions and for not showcasing the personalities of its stars, MLB relaxed the rules for a game that no longer counts and turned up the charm Tuesday, and it went over well.

Players were mic'ed up, joking with each other and the broadcasters on the air, and players were allowed to bring their phones on the field to take selfies that played well on social media.

Most memorable? Manny Machado, in likely his last game in an Orioles jersey, mugging at second base with Matt Kemp of the Dodgers, where they may soon be teammates.

"There's a ton of personality in our game,'' Hinch said. "And sometimes our sport gets a little bit, you know, of a sideswipe at us, that we are this boring sport that methodically goes through the games. … If you allow the players to be themselves and you allow them to showcase themselves, this is the biggest showcase event, especially since the game competition side of it hasn't mattered for a few years, you're amazed what you find out about these guys. … For this event, it was a great trial and error.

"I don't know how it played out socially, but from the players' perspective, to be able to let loose a little bit and enjoy each other was pretty cool.''

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Rays nation

Snell headlined the Rays contingent that included injured catcher Wilson Ramos, who was very much at home in his former Nationals home park; manager Kevin Cash, who was an AL coach; and several stadium staffers. The 25-year-old lefty put on a good show, giving up a homer on his first All-Star pitch to Cubs catcher Contreras, then settling in, allowing two walks but no other hits and striking out three, including Kemp and Harper looking, while working 1⅔ innings.

"I was a little nervous, really excited, a lot of mixed emotions," Snell said. "It was great. I had a fun time. I'm happy it's over, I'm happy to go see my family and enjoy the moment."

Social issues

What had been a three-day feel-good All-Star celebration of baseball ended in a modern-age social media-related controversy late Tuesday as Brewers reliever Josh Hader scrambled to apologize for a series of tweets from 2011-12 that contained racist, sexist and homophobic comments.

During the game, in which Hader, 24, pitched the eighth inning, giving up a three-run homer to Seattle's Segura, another Twitter user uncovered and posted the offensive tweets.

Hader said he was 17 and still in high school — "young, immature and stupid" — when he made the comments, some of which might have been rap song lyrics: "There's no excuse for what was said. I'm deeply sorry for what I said and what's been going on. It doesn't reflect any of my beliefs going now."

MLB said Wednesday that Hader would be required to attend sensitivity training and participate in diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Contact Marc Topkin at mtopkin@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Rays.