How the Chicago White Sox and Cubs players performed in the All-Star Game, including an eventful save for Liam Hendriks
Liam Hendriks #LiamHendriks
DENVER — After a one-year absence in 2020 because of the pandemic, the top players in baseball gathered at Coors Field for the All-Star Game on Tuesday night.
The American League defeated the National League 5-2 behind home runs by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays and Mike Zunino of the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Chicago White Sox had four players on the AL roster — Liam Hendriks, Lance Lynn, Carlos Rodón and Tim Anderson — and the Chicago Cubs had two on the NL squad in Kris Bryant and Craig Kimbrel.
Here’s how the game went for the players from both teams.
White Sox
Lance Lynn
Lynn felt the same type of adrenaline as a regular-season outing.
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“You don’t want to give up hits or a run, that’s for sure,” he said.
Lynn didn’t allow either while pitching the second inning for the AL. He walked one and had one strikeout.
“A walk (is) fine. I was trying to strike him out,” Lynn said with a smile. “I had to get at least one.”
He did, fanning Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto to end the inning.
“It was fun,” Lynn said. “Whenever you can get on the field with All-Stars, some of the best in the game. They’ve got guys that are young, and (Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson) Cruz is older than some. When you’re on a team like this, it’s always fun.”
Lynn followed starter Shohei Ohtani with the AL leading 1-0. This was Lynn’s second All-Star selection but his first time appearing in the game. He did not pitch in the 2012 All-Star Game with the St. Louis Cardinals.
“Now I can officially say that I made one,” he said.
Tim Anderson
Anderson entered at shortstop in the eighth. While he was involved in a lot of shifting, he didn’t have a ball hit his way.
Anderson earned his first All-Star selection after slashing .309/.345/.424 in the first half. He was in the on-deck circle in the top of the ninth when the final out was recorded.
Liam Hendriks
The Sox closer entered in a familiar situation: the ninth inning with his team leading.
He allowed an infield hit to Milwaukee Brewers catcher Omar Narváez to start the inning. With Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor up, Hendriks threw a pitch that went to the backstop, but it bounced right back to catcher Zunino, who easily threw out Narváez at second.
Hendriks struck out Taylor, then allowed a two-out double to Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies.
He got Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner to bounce out to second to wrap up the AL win and pick up the save.
Carlos Rodón
The Sox lefty did not get in the game, but he has been one of the better stories in baseball after persevering through a series of arm injuries.
Rodón’s remarkable season includes a no-hitter. He is 7-3 with a 2.31 ERA that ranks third in the AL.
Cubs
Kris Bryant
Fittingly, Bryant’s appearance in Tuesday’s All-Star Game came at a position that wasn’t the one for which he earned the nod.
Named to the team as a third baseman, Bryant entered in left field at the start of the sixth. The versatile Bryant has started more games in the outfield (45) for the Cubs this year than at third (24) because of numerous injuries that have required him to move around so they can field their best lineup.
Big situations seemed to find Bryant.
In both of his All-Star at-bats, he came to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. In the sixth, Oakland Athletics right-hander Chris Bassitt struck him out on an elevated fastball to end the inning after a run scored on a passed ball.
In the eighth, Bryant had another chance to drive in much-needed runs for the NL. He worked a 3-0 count against Boston Red Sox right-hander Matt Barnes and jumped a 96 mph fastball in the zone. Bryant smashed a liner to left, but the Los Angeles Angels’ Jared Walsh made a sliding, inning-ending catch to rob him of a run-scoring hit.
Craig Kimbrel
The Cubs closer got called on to start the ninth. He retired two of the three AL batters he faced, giving up a one-out double to the Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia.