D-backs All-Star Game moments include mic’d up Carroll, Gurriel’s near HR

The MLB All-Star Game is always about more than the game itself, and four Arizona Diamondbacks got to experience it for the first time on Tuesday in Seattle.

Zac Gallen started the game for the National League and tossed a scoreless inning, highlighted by a strikeout of AL MVP favorite Shohei Ohtani.

Corbin Carroll took the field at his hometown ballpark, one he used to attend with his family to watch the Seattle Mariners.

He was introduced with the message, “Welcome home, Corbin Carroll.”

Welcome home, Corbin!!! pic.twitter.com/NBWe09Ylfa

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 12, 2023

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a home run that was called back upon review, and Geraldo Perdomo did what he does best: get on base.

The National League picked up its first win since 2012, 3-2.

Carroll mic’d up

Carroll wore a mic during his first at-bat, as did AL pitcher Nathan Eovaldi of the Texas Rangers. This created a new dynamic, although the at-bat lasted only two pitches.

Eovaldi missed outside on a breaking ball to start the duel, which Carroll said was close with a smile.

The D-backs star then bounced out to first to end the inning.

Carroll kept the mic in the field, where he talked about the success of the D-backs this year.

“You just saw a big reason right there with Zac Gallen why we’re having the success we’re having,” Carroll said. “Him and Merrill Kelly have been a great 1-2 punch the whole year. Lineup is just finding ways to get things done. We’ve got some guys who can hit it out of the park like Christian Walker and Ketel Marte. We’ve got some guys who can play some small ball. It adds up to a fun team.”

Carroll also received some teasing by FOX Sports broadcaster Joe Davis.

Carroll has a photo of him and Mariners legend Ichiro as his phone wallpaper, and Davis tee’d him up by saying, “I don’t know if you know this, but Ichiro has gone on record saying his favorite young hitter is Luis Arraez. I’m sorry, he’s an Arraez guy.”

The 22-year-old laughed it off, saying Arraez was his favorite, too.

Why’d they tease him that was so mean 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/UWyvL04UKA

— MLB Metrics (@MLBMetrics) July 12, 2023

Carroll finished the game 0-for-2.

Gurriel’s near home run

Gurriel got to round the bases after blasting a breaking ball into the left-field seats off Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano, his former teammate.

Upon further review, the ball was ruled foul, and the game-tying run was called back.

FOX Sports analyst and Hall of Famer David Ortiz came up and joked with Gurriel to keep it fair next time.

Gurriel still recorded his first All-Star Game hit: an infield single off Detroit Tigers RHP Michael Lorenzen after a pitching change.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. juuuuuust missed a game-tying homer in his first ever All-Star Game at-bat pic.twitter.com/fhSCiHUY1L

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 12, 2023

Gurriel went 1-for-2.

Perdomo’s debut

Perdomo was an All-Star replacement at shortstop and received two at-bats on Tuesday. He battled back from down 0-2 to walk in his first chance, something he’s done consistently with Arizona. He has the best on-base percentage on the D-backs at .378.

He and Gurriel were on base with two outs, but Padres star Juan Soto and Mets slugger Pete Alonso could not bring them home.

Perdomo finished 1-for-2 with a flyout.

Rock, paper, scissors

Gurriel had some fun with former Blue Jays teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. during the game.

In the second inning, FOX’s cameras caught Gurriel and Guerrero playing rock, paper, scissors from opposing dugouts.

It appeared there was a dispute about the score:

Former teammates Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. played mid-inning rock paper scissors across dugouts pic.twitter.com/9KffNJTHl7

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 12, 2023

Gallen’s K

Gallen faced Marcus Semien, Ohtani and Randy Arozarena in the first inning.

He forced a Semien groundout before punching out Ohtani with a 3-2 knuckle curve.

Arozarena picked up a single, but he was caught stealing to end the frame with Corey Seager up.

Zac strikes out Ohtani for his first #AllStarGame strikeout. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/H7PkstCqF6

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 12, 2023

All-Star Game bonus moments

– Ohtani stepped into the batter’s box while Mariners fans rained down chants for him to join their team next year. Ohtani is an upcoming free agent.

They are chanting "Come to Seattle" at the #AllStarGame with Ohtani at the plate 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/fX3Bz6sWW0

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 12, 2023

– Rockies catcher Elias Diaz made his MLB All-Star Game debut at 32 years old on Tuesday and blasted a go-ahead two-run shot in the eighth inning.

He became the first player to hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or later at the All-Star Game since Hank Blalock in 2003.

Diaz won the All-Star Game MVP.

ELÍAS DÍAZ GO-AHEAD 2-RUN HOMER IN THE 8TH 💣 @MLB pic.twitter.com/qo4DBv4kaJ

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) July 12, 2023

– The Seattle crowd erupted in the bottom of the ninth with two outs when Phillies and NL closer Craig Kimbrel walked Houston’s Kyle Tucker. This brought up Mariners OF Julio Rodriguez as the go-ahead run.

“Julio” chants got louder and louder as the count came full, and Rodriguez walked to bring up Jose Ramirez.

Kimbrel struck out Ramirez with a high heater to end the game.

Oh boy 👀 Julio coming up with a chance to win it! pic.twitter.com/EQWISYcTHR

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 12, 2023

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