It was a long time coming, but the National League finally came out on top in the Midsummer Classic.
Powered by an eighth-inning, go-ahead home run from Rockies catcher Elias Diaz, the NL snatched a 3-2 win from the American League despite a touch-and-go ninth from Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel. NL manager Rob Thomson kept his faith in the Philadelphia dealer, however, and the National League picked up its first All-Star Game win since 2012.
It snaps a nine-game win streak for the AL in the All-Star Game (the game was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19), and Diaz was a truly unlikely source of heroics. The Rockies catcher was their sole representative this season, and had nine home runs in the first half. He came on for Jorge Soler as a pinch hitter in a 2-1 game and the rest, as they say, is history.
Making the drought all the more maddening for the NL is that none of the past nine matchups between the AL and NL were blowouts. None of them were decided by more than three runs, and the 2023 iteration was similarly close.
MLB All-Star Game results: Elias Diaz's eighth-inning homer powers NL to win
When is the last time the National League beat the American League?
Heading into Tuesday, the last time the AL had lost to the NL was 2012, when Tony La Russa led a top of the order that featured Carlos Gonzalez, Melky Cabrera, And Ryan Braun against the AL's Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, and Josh Hamilton.
The starting pitchers were Matt Cain and the seemingly ageless Justin Verlander.
These were the All-Star Game starting lineups the last time the National League won
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 12, 2023
Melky Cabrera won All-Star Game MVP. Mike Trout and Bryce Harper were still rookies pic.twitter.com/4HN51EFxK5
Cabrera ended up the MVP of that game — played in Kansas City — with a 2-for-3 performance that featured a home run and two RBI.
What is the National League's record against the American League?
Even with the AL's recent streak, the AL-NL record remains surprisingly tight.
The American League holds the edge at 47-44-2, despite the NL winning just three times from 1997 to 2022 (a three-game win streak from 2010 to 2012). The two sides tied in 2002.
The National League still has the longest winning streak, having won the All-Star Game 11 straight times from 1972 to 1982. The AL didn't lose for 13 straight games from 1997 to 2009, but a tie in 2002 breaks up the winning streak.
Perhaps this will turn fortunes around for the NL moving forward. For the time being, however, the National League can bask in winning the most important ASG — the latest one.
