All-Star Game shows Goldy’s goods, Helsley’s heat

LOS ANGELES – Two of the St. Louis Cardinals’ major performers this season delivered in a showcase of baseball’s finest Tuesday night.

While the National League dropped its ninth straight MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, Cardinals’ 1st baseman Paul Goldschmidt and relief pitcher Ryan Helsley took edge of minimal chances in the midsummer common.

Goldschmidt, voted by lovers as the Cardinals’ lone All-Star starter, had a specifically hectic 1st inning. The All-Star recreation started with a 1st-pitch, leadoff solitary to Los Angeles Angels’ phenom Shohei Ohtani. 3 pitches later, Goldschmidt flashed his Gold Glove-caliber defense for the game’s initially out, teaming up with Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw to decide on off Ohtani at to start with base.

Afterwards in the inning, hitting cleanup in the NL starting up lineup, Goldschmidt smoked a 2- pitch to the remaining-discipline bleachers off Tampa Bay Rays’ setting up pitcher Shane McClanahan. His solo home operate included on to an early Countrywide League direct and doubled the team’s offensive output in the opening body.

Goldschmidt’s All-Star Sport dwelling operate was the initially from a Cardinals hitter since Yadier Molina in 2017. It was the 1st of a few in the game Tuesday night prior to the American League took the guide on back again-ot-back again jacks from Giancarlo Stanton and Byron Buxton.

Because of to a crowded NL field at to start with base, highlighted by 4 All-Stars at the placement, Goldschmidt was confined to a few innings in the field and one at-bat. Goldschmidt produced just one additional putout in the 2nd inning just before the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman pinch-strike for him in the 3rd.

The property operate caps a extraordinary very first 50 percent for Goldschmidt, one particular that showcased a .330 batting normal, 20 household operates and 70 RBI. He is currently on rate for own-best in home runs and RBI, even though his 4.8 WAR is next-most effective in the league guiding teammate Nolan Arenado.

The Countrywide League could not attract up significantly more offensively right after the very first inning, and nevertheless two swift residence operates gave the American League a direct they would not relinquish, the NL’s arms held the video game in tact. One NL pitcher worked in each individual inning of the sport, and Helsley was assigned to eighth-inning responsibilities.

Helsley retired a few of four hitters he faced, hanging out two on some higher heat. The Cardinals’ by-committee closer fired a 103-mph fastball to Minnesota Twins’ infielder Luis Arraez prior to eventually putting him out.

Helsley joins Aroldis Chapman as the only pitcher to at any time clock 103 miles for every hour in an All-Star Sport during the Statcast period. The 28-yr-aged has been a reliable reduction pitcher in most situations for the Cardinals this period, enjoying a 5-1 history, .69 Era, 8 saves and 57 strikeouts more than 39 innings.

Albert Pujols, named to the NL All-Star group as a legacy collection dependent on career achievements, pinch-strike in the designated hitter place midway to the activity, traveling out to the still left discipline warning track. Miles Mikolas, who was named as a reserve to the NL All-Star group on Sunday, did not pitch. Nolan Arenado, initially named as a reserve to the All-Star sport at third foundation, opted out of All-Star festivities because of to back again tightness.

The Cardinals commence their second fifty percent of the time with an 8-video game street journey that rolls via Cincinnati, Toronto and Washington D.C.