MLB All-Star Game 2018: RECAP, score, stats | Josh Hader’s racist, homophobic tweets fallout; MVP Alex Bregman, Aaron Judge, Mike Trout among 10 HR

The MLB All-Star Game will take place at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 (7/17/18). The American League team, led by Astros manager A.J. Hinch, boasts incredible talent, such as the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Luis Severino; Baltimore Orioles’ Manny Machado; Boston Red Sox’s Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez; and Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout. On the National League side, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will field a team with Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper, New York Mets’ Jacob deGrom, Atlanta Braves’ Freddie Freeman and Colorado Rockies’ Nolan Arenado.

The MLB All-Star Game will take place at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, July 17, 2018. 

The American League team, led by Astros manager A.J. Hinch, boasts incredible talent, such as the Yankees‘ Aaron Judge and Luis Severino; the Orioles’ Manny Machado; the Red Sox‘s Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez; and the Angels’ Mike Trout.

Should Yanks target Hamels or Martinez?

On the National League side, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will field a team with stars Bryce Harper of the Nationals, Jacob deGrom of the Mets, Freddie Freeman of the Braves and Nolan Arenado of the Rockies.

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Here is the AP recap of the game:

WASHINGTON (AP) — A record 10 home runs. A slew of strikeouts.

The all-or-nothing All-Star Game mirrored what baseball has become.

Astros teammates Alex Bregman and George Springer homered on consecutive pitches to begin the 10th inning, and the American League beat the National League 8-6 Tuesday night for its sixth straight win.

“Standard operation nowadays, right?” said AL manager A.J. Hinch of Houston. “We’re going to homer and punch out as an industry.”

“There’s a great love affair with both results. I mean, to kind of empty your tank and hit homers tonight at this event is probably the best thing imaginable,” he said. “Just to have that kind of emotion that comes with the home run, especially when the big boys hit it and especially when the Astros hit it.”

Mike Trout, Aaron Judge and Jean Segura also connected for the AL in a game where every run except one scored on a homer.

Scooter Gennett hit a tying two-run shot off Seattle closer Edwin Diaz in the bottom of the ninth. Joey Votto, Willson Contreras, Trevor Story, Christian Yelich also homered for the NL.

There had never been more than six homers in an All-Star Game since Babe Ruth hit the very first one in 1933.

One of the homers came off Milwaukee’s Josh Hader. After the game, the 24-year-old reliever took responsibility for racist and homophobic tweets that resurfaced while he was pitching.

Hader said he was immature at age 17 when several of the tweets were posted. Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem said he had spoken to Hader, and the league would have no comment before Wednesday.

“There’s no excuse for what was said,” Hader said. “I’m deeply sorry for what I’ve said and what’s been going on. It doesn’t reflect any of my beliefs going on now.”

While several sluggers went deep, not everything went their way. Starters Max Scherzer and Chris Sale and the relievers combined to fan 15 in the first 4 1/2 innings, and there were 25 strikeouts overall.

Fitting, because this season is on pace to become the first with more strikeouts than hits, a year after a record number of home runs.

“You’re facing power pitchers right now, so that’s kind of what you expect: hit-or-miss with these guys,” Boston’s J.D. Martinez said.

Martinez, who leads the majors in homers and RBIs, singled and struck out in his two at-bats.

Orioles shortstop Manny Machado had fun, pulling out a camera to snap a selfie at second base after Matt Kemp doubled. By Wednesday, they could be teammates — Baltimore seems ready to trade Machado, with the Dodgers and Phillies in the mix.

“I’m just trying to enjoy this moment with the American League guys,” Machado told FOX in the dugout. “If this is the last time (in a Baltimore uniform), hopefully I treated them well and did everything I can for the organization.”

Major League Baseball, meanwhile, seemed to take a selfie of itself, with all the homers and strikeouts. This was MLB 2.018, an update that’s not appealing to everyone.

“Some of us are going to get them and they’re going to get us. It’s just how it goes,” Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman said.

Declining attendance is a concern, and the sport’s owners worry that slower games with less action on the bases are taking a toll.

A day after hometown star Bryce Harper electrified the crowd by winning the Home Run Derby, it was eerily quiet for most of the evening at Nationals Park. Harper didn’t excite the fans, either, fanning in his two at-bats.

The popular Presidents Race drew the biggest cheer in the middle innings, with the big-headed George Washington character prevailing.

The only thing missing was a bevy of defensive shifts. Overloaded infields are the norm now, Hinch and NL manager Dave Roberts of the Dodgers pretty much played things straight up.

Bregman and Springer homered off losing pitcher Ross Stripling of the Dodgers — that’s kind of how last year ended, too, with Houston battering Los Angeles pitchers in the World Series.

Bregman smiled all around the bases and earned MVP honors. He’s familiar with this city, his grandfather having been the general counsel for the old Washington Senators.

“My dad grew up on Ted Williams’ lap. So to see Ted Williams Most Valuable Player on this trophy is pretty special,” Bregman said.

Segura’s three-run homer in the eighth landed in the bullpen and broke a 2-all tie. The Seattle infielder popped up the previous pitch, but Votto, Cincinnati’s reliable first baseman, dropped it for an error as he approached the dugout railing. Segura then connected off Hader.

Judge homered in the second off Scherzer, the Nationals ace who became the first reigning Cy Young Award winner to start an All-Star Game in his home park. There was another judge at the park besides the Yankees slugger — Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee.

“It’s tough to barrel up some balls when you’ve got some of the best pitchers in the game throwing against you and you don’t really have a scouting report. You’re just going up there swinging,” Judge said.

Trout kept up his All-Star excellence, tagging Mets righty Jacob deGrom. A two-time MVP in his event, Trout is 7 for 15 with five extra-base hits and three walks in these games.

Diaz wound up with the win and Toronto’s J.A. Happ got his first pro save after giving up Votto’s homer.

The AL won for the 18th time in 21 games played to a decision, and leads the series 44-43-2. Not since the early 1960s has the AL been ahead.

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Here is what you need to know about watching the All-Star Game:

What: MLB All-Star Game

Where: Nationals Park

When: Tuesday, July 17, 2018

What  time: Coverage beings at 7:30 p.m.

What  channel: FOX

How to watch online: MLB.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Touki Toussaint was about to settle down for his pregame nap when Atlanta Braves director of player development Dom Chiti called.

“When I saw his name pop up, I did kind of get nervous,” Toussaint said. “You see that name pop up, you’re like, ‘Oh, snap.'”

Chiti was calling earlier this weekend to ask the highly touted pitching prospect if he’d like to play in the All-Star Futures Game. But this time of year, Toussaint and minor leaguers all over baseball are right to wonder when the phone rings.

Before Manny Machado arrived for the All-Star Game, the Futures Game on Sunday was a who’s who of prospects bandied about in trade talks for the Baltimore Orioles shortstop and others expected to be moved before the July 31 non-waiver deadline. New York Mets prospect Peter Alonso hit one of eight home runs in the game as the United States beat the World 10-6, a three-hour respite from the rumors.

“There’s definitely a lot of talk going around with trades and all that,” said Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Keston Hiura, who has been mentioned as possible trade chip for Machado. “There’s always questions of who’s getting moved and all that. … Whatever happens talking wise or behind the scenes, that’s out of our control.”

A couple players in this game already know what these guys are going through. Luis Basabe went to the Chicago White Sox in the trade that netted the Red Sox lefty starter Chris Sale, and Dawel Lugo was part of the haul the Detroit Tigers got from the Arizona Diamondbacks for J.D. Martinez.

Alonso’s seventh-inning home run came off Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Adonis Medina, whose wild pitch on a strikeout allowed the go-ahead run to score. Medina has also been linked to Machado with the Phillies showing serious interest.

New York Yankees pitching prospect Justus Sheffield allowed a home run and had a strikeout in 1 1/3 innings of work. Sheffield is considered untouchable even with the Yankees trying to catch the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have plenty of prospect ammunition to get in on the Machado sweepstakes, including catcher Keibert Ruiz and outfielder Yusniel Diaz. Ruiz and the Dodgers got a scare when he injured his right hand on a foul tip in the seventh inning, but he said X-rays showed it was not broken.

“I was very worried,” said Diaz, who hit two home runs for the World. “He’s a good teammate and at this point we’re almost like brothers, so I was very concerned.”

Injuries are reason for concern, but Brewers pitching prospect Luis Ortiz doesn’t worry about being traded after going from Texas to Milwaukee at the deadline two years ago.

“Being traded the first time caught me really off-guard, especially when I was with Texas, 19, 20 years old in Double-A,” said Ortiz, who got the final out for the U.S. on Sunday. “But now that (there’s) another trade talk and my name’s getting brought up more and more in trades and Keston, it’s more like you want to keep an eye on it, but then at the same time you’ve got to let it go, do your thing.”

A conversation with Matt Garza also settled Ortiz’s mind when the longtime major leaguer told him to pitch for the Brewers and any other teams watching. His advice to Hiura is to ignore social media, but players know that’s easier said than done.

“I get tagged on Twitter 24/7,” said Toussaint, who was traded from Arizona to Atlanta three years ago. “I don’t pay attention to it. I just go out there and try to win games for my team.”

While U.S. manager Torii Hunter was beating close friend, former teammate and World manager David Ortiz, he was so impressed by Alonso’s home run that he invoked another retired power hitter.

“That is some Mark McGwire-type stuff,” Hunter said. “I won’t forget that name.”

Cincinnati Reds prospect Taylor Trammell had a home run and a triple and was picked as the MVP. His bat is going to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

With the Mets and Reds looking to sell and get younger, Alonso and Trammell can breathe easy for the next couple of weeks. Prospects playing for contenders try to look at is as a positive that they’re sought-after commodities.

“It’s always good when a team values you, whether it’s your team or another team,” Hiura said. “Being in that position, it definitely helps your confidence and it helps you want to play and improve every day.”

(NJ Advance Media’s Brendan Kuty and the Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.