On This Date in Sports July 7, 1998: All Stars in the Rockies
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
The All-Stars come to the Mile High City and stage a classic Coors Field slugfest in the year of the home run. A total of 21 runs is scored in what is the highest-scoring All-Star Game ever. The American League wins the game 13-8, as Roberto Alomar of the Biltmore Orioles is named MVP, with three hits and four at-bats, with a home run.
The game did not start out as a slugfest, as David Wells of the New York Yankees gets the start for the American League managed by Cleveland Indians skipper Mike Hargrove. Meanwhile, Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves gets the start for the National League managed by Jim Leyland of the Florida Marlins. Both starters would pitch two scoreless innings. In the third inning, Tom Glavine, Maddux’s Atlanta teammate, continued to keep the Americans off the scoreboard. At the same time, Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres drove in two runs after Roger Clemens of the Toronto Blue Jays loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning.
In the fourth inning, the offenses began to find their groove as Alex Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners and Ivan Rodriguez of the Texas Rangers led off with singles against Glavine. Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. followed with a game-tying double. Glavine continued to struggle, allowing an infield single to Damion Easley of the Anaheim Angels while walking Roberto Alomar to load the bases after retiring Cleveland’s Kenny Lofton. The American League would then take the lead as Glavine walked Seattle super slugger Ken Griffey Jr. After Kevin Brown of the Padres entered, Juan Gonzalez of the Rangers added to the lead with a sacrifice fly. The NL would get one run back in the bottom of the fourth, as Walt Weiss of the Braves singled home teammate Chipper Jones who led off with a walk and advanced into scoring position with a single by New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza against Brad Radke of the Minnesota Twins.
The American League got their run back in the fifth inning as A-Rod greeted Padres hurler Andy Ashby with a home run. In the bottom of the inning, Devon White of the Arizona Diamondbacks led off with a triple against Indians hurler Bartolo Colon. After Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals walked, Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit a three-run bomb to give the NL a 6-5 lead. Colon settled down to retire the next three batters. The National League’s lead would not last long as Montreal Expos reliever Ugueth Urbina imploded. The inning started with singles by Roberto Alomar and Ken Griffey Jr. After striking out Juan Gonzalez, Alomar and Griffey stole second and third. At the same time, Jim Thome of the Indians walked to load the bases. Alomar would come home on a passed ball by Javy Lopez of the Braves, who had just replaced Piazza. After striking out Derek Jeter of the Yankees, Urbina uncorked a wild pitch allowing Griffey to score the go-ahead run. Pudge would follow with an RBI single to give the American League an 8-6 lead.
After Rolando Arrojo or the Tampa Bay Devils Rays shut down the NL in the sixth, Roberto Alomar struck again with a solo home run off Padres closer Trevor Hoffman to make it 9-6 in the seventh inning. Rangers closer John Wetteland set down the National League in order in the bottom of the inning, while the AL continued to tack on runs in the eighth, as Sandy Alomar of the Indians scored Rafael Palmeiro of the Orioles on a single to right, off Jeff Shaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Leading 10-6 in the eighth, Tom Gordon of the Boston Red Sox faltered as the NL loaded the bases as Greg Vaughn singled home a pair of runs to cut the American League’s lead in half. Devon White followed up with another single, but the NL’s rally was stifled when Paul O’Neill of the Yankees made a perfect throw home to nail Fernando Vina of the Milwaukee Brewers at home. The inning would end with Andre Galarraga of the Braves hit into a double play. In the ninth, the American League answered against Giants closer Robb Nen, scoring three more runs as Ray Durham of the Chicago White Sox, Manny Ramirez of the Indians, and Rafael Palmeiro drove in runs to make the final score 13-8, with Troy Percival of the Angels ending the game by striking out Moises Alou of the Houston Astros.
The game's losing pitcher was Ugueth Urbina, while Bartolo Colon, one of two players that played in the 1990s that is still active, was credited with the win.