D-backs’ Joe Mantiply throws 1-2-3 inning in All-Star Game debut

Arizona Diamondbacks southpaw Joe Mantiply stepped up in his MLB All-Star Game debut Tuesday night, making quick work of three representatives from the American League.

Mantiply came out of the bullpen in the sixth inning for the National League and faced Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi, who grounded out to second on the first pitch he saw.

Seattle Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez stepped in after putting on a show as the runner-up at the Home Run Derby on Monday. He chopped out to second on Mantiply’s fourth pitch, a sinker on the outer half of the plate.

That brought up Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, a four-time All-Star.

Mantiply struck him out swinging on a changeup that dropped below the zone to end the frame 1-2-3 on only nine pitches.

The three batters swung at five pitches and whiffed three times, all on changeups.

3 up, 3 down.

Way to go, Joe! pic.twitter.com/mYx9a9G1he

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 20, 2022

The D-backs’ reliever threw the second 1-2-3 frame of the night for the NL after Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara did so in the second inning.

Mantiply, 31, was Arizona’s sole representative at the event.

The lefty entered the break with a 2.21 ERA in 36.2 innings, a breakout half-season after he found a consistent role in MLB for the first time in his career last year with Arizona.

He had an especially dominant run over his first 32 innings this year in which he worked a 1.13 ERA and 33 punch outs, which led to his All-Star selection.

Mantiply is the 27th different Diamondbacks player to make the All-Star team.

He and his family got to show off their threads on the red carpet before the game began at Dodger Stadium:

The Mantiply family was born for the #AllStarGame red carpet. 🥰 pic.twitter.com/g6GtUjZe4D

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 19, 2022

The NL fell to the AL 3-2 Tuesday night.

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