December 25, 2024

Elías Díaz’s Game-Winning HR Shocks Twitter as NL Rallies Past AL in 2023 MLB ASG

Elias Diaz #EliasDiaz

Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Talk about an All-Star Game debut for Elías Díaz.

The Colorado Rockies’ 32-year-old catcher was the hero of Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. He launched a two-run homer off Félix Bautista of the Baltimore Orioles in the top of the eighth inning to give the National League a 3-2 lead.

Josh Hader and Craig Kimbrel—who struck out José Ramírez to end the game—closed the door on the mound from there, and the Senior Circuit snapped a nine-game losing streak in the All-Star Game with the 3-2 victory.

Social media had nothing but love for Díaz’s dramatic moment:

It seemed like the American League was going to extend its winning streak to double digits from the opening frame. After all, Adolis García and Randy Arozarena made jumping catches at the wall on the very first two batters and appeared to set the tone for a dominant pitching performance for the Junior Circuit.

Things looked to be stacked against the National League even when it did hit the ball, as Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s monster home run in the seventh to tie the game was overturned upon review.

The American League was in the lead at that point thanks to a solo blast from Yandy Díaz and a sacrifice fly from Bo Bichette. The only run the National League managed to scrape together in those opening seven innings came from an RBI single by Luis Arráez, who leads the league with a .383 batting average.

Elías Díaz had more than another RBI single in mind when he was at the dish with a runner in scoring position.

His long ball is quite the memorable moment in a season that has seen him slash .277/.328/.435 with nine home runs and 45 RBI. He has been a bright spot for a Rockies club that is in last place in the National League West at 34-57.

And he was a bright spot for a National League team that needed one to avoid yet another All-Star Game loss.

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