As is normally the case, the Los Angeles Dodgers were well-represented at the annual MLB All-Star Game, this year sending Hyun-Jin Ryu, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy to Progressive Field in Cleveland.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts again led the National League All-Stars, and he was accompanied by several members of his coaching staff. It was American League players that wound up stealing the show though, jumping on both Kershaw and Buehler for a run each and eventually coming away with a 4-3 victory to win their seventh straight Midsummer Classic.
With his team leading by just one run, Boston Red Sox and AL manager Alex Cora went to New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman to finish out the game. The hard-throwing lefty took care of business by striking out J.T. Realmuto, Muncy and Yasmani Grandal to complete the victory.
Dating back to last year, Chapman has now struck out six straight batters in the All-Star Game, which tied former Dodgers starter Fernando Valenzuela’s record, per STATS LLC:
Aroldis Chapman of the @Yankees has struck out the last 6 batters he has faced in All-Star Games, tying Fernando Valenzuela (1985-86) for the longest streak all-time.#PinstripePride #STATSInsights
— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) July 10, 2019
While Chapman and Valenzuela both set the record across two years, former Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez almost did it in one game in 1999. He got the start for the AL that year and struck out the first four batters he faced to begin the game. Martinez wound up punching out five overall in two scoreless innings.
In Valenzuela’s 17-year Major League career, he was named an All-Star six times, all coming with the Dodgers from 1981-86. Coincidentally, this was also Chapman’s sixth Midsummer Classic in his career, although at just 31 years of age he has a chance to make it a few more times before he retires.
If Chapman makes the team again next year, then all eyes will be on him when he faces his first batter to see if he can break the shared record.
