The American League shut out the National League 4-0 in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, and for the four Dodgers who actually suited up, it was a forgettable evening at the ballpark. No Shohei Ohtani? No problem for the AL. And not much help from the guys in blue, either.
Freddie Freeman went hitless with a strikeout, though he did draw a walk. Andy Pages went 0-for-2 with a strikeout. Max Muncy also came up empty in two at-bats. The only bright spot was rookie left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who pitched two innings of relief, allowed one earned run on one hit, and struck out five. That’s about all the NL got from the Dodgers’ contingent.
Ohtani’s absence was the real story
The biggest name in baseball didn’t play. Ohtani had his knee drained over the weekend to fix an issue that had been bugging him for about a week, and he decided to sit out the All-Star Game entirely. That didn’t sit well with some fans, especially in Philadelphia, where the Dodgers knocked the Phillies out of last year’s NLDS. The home crowd wasn’t exactly warm to Freeman, Pages, or Muncy either.
Was Ohtani cheating the fans? That was the debate leading up to the game. Some online called it a cop-out. Others pointed out he’s still recovering from major elbow surgery and will probably be the MVP favorite again. The team has not confirmed whether the knee issue will linger, but he’s expected back for the second half.
Dave Roberts managed the NL squad, but the loss won’t help his Hall of Fame case
Because the Dodgers have the best record in the National League, Dave Roberts got the All-Star managing gig. It’s a nice honor, but it doesn’t come with a trophy that matters. The NL got shut out, and Roberts will have to wait another year to maybe get a win in this thing. Not that it’ll make or break his legacy.
The Dodgers resume the regular season Friday night against the New York Yankees. That series will tell us a lot more about where this team is headed than anything that happened in an exhibition game in July.
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