AL shuts out National League in first All-Star Game shutout since 2013

Dylan Cease started the 96th All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Citizens Bank Park, and with 10 relievers helped deliver the first All-Star shutout in 13 years and only the eighth in the event’s history.

The American League beat the National League 4-0 after one inning of offense. Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice drove in the first three runs against Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez, giving the American League a cushion before the night settled into a parade of strikeouts and zeroes. Miguel Vargas added a solo home run in the eighth to finish the scoring and lock in the shutout.

Cease opened by striking out the side in the first inning, and the American League staff did not let up. Eleven AL pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout and struck out 15 National League batters, one shy of the nine-inning All-Star Game record. The National League never mounted a sustained rally and managed only three hits.

The American League has now won 11 of the last 13 All-Star Games. The shutout was the fourth All-Star shutout by the American League. Cody Bellinger was named All-Star Game MVP after his RBI hit helped spark the early lead, becoming the fourth Yankee to win the award. The game capped All-Star Week in Philadelphia, which ran from July 10 through July 14 across Citizens Bank Park and the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and returned the Midsummer Classic to the city for the first time since 1996. Philadelphia also hosted the game in 1976 at Veterans Stadium, tying this year’s showcase to two earlier points in the city’s baseball history.