City Division Takes 2002 All-Star Game, 13-3

There is an old saying in baseball that good pitching gets out good hitting. Apparently no one ever told that to the slugging City Division All Stars. The pitching rich Suburban Division All Stars gave up 17 hits and 13 runs in a 13-3 loss at the Crowded House in Columbus.

The City Division got to work right away. The first six batters reached base against Suburban starter Jeff Weaver. Weaver came into the game with a league high 13 wins and 2.55 ERA, but took the loss with an infinite ERA as four of those six batters scored. After a leadoff walk to Alex Rodriquez, Brian Giles drew first blood with an RBI triple. Mike Sweeney plated Giles with a single. Following another single to Luis Gonzalez, Weaver let loose a wild pitch to put runners on second and third. Bret Boone then came through with a big single to score them both. After another single to Todd Helton, Weaver's day was done before even a single batter was retired. Kerry Wood came in and stopped the City cold, enticing Preston Wilson to ground into a double play and then striking out Eric Chavez.

City starter Brad Penny knew just what to do with a 4-0 lead, though. Penny shut down the suburban hitters, giving up just one hit and two walks over 3 innings to earn the win and MVP honors. Penny struck out three and ended his 39-pitch stint by getting Derek Jeter to ground into a DP.

The City Stars had baserunners again in the 2nd and 3rd, but the Suburbanites kept them from padding their lead until the 4th, when doubles by ARod and Mike Sweeney made it 5-0. The Suburban Division got on the board in their half of the 4th when Barry Bonds lead off with a homerun against Greg Maddux. Maddux retired the next three batters, though, including striking out Chipper Jones and Shawn Green.

Super slugger Bonds, leading the league in homeruns and RBI, got pitched around the rest of the day, drawing 3 "unintentional" walks in his other three trips to the plate. He may have let his frustration get to him, however, as he was gunned down trying to steal in the 8th following the third free pass.

The City Division put together another big rally in the top of the 5th, this time at the expense of Kevin Appier and Chan Ho Park. Appier started the inning and retired Bret Boone, but then gave up a double to Helton. Pinch Hitter J.D. Drew then singled and stole second to put runners on 2nd and 3rd. But then Eric Chavez struck out to make it two out. Chavez was one of the few City hitters to struggle, with three whiffs on the day. It might have been four had a pitch not hit him in his last trip in the 6th.

It looked like Appier might get out of the jam but pinch hitter Miguel Tejeda came through with a two-out, two-run single, and Appier was done. Chan Ho Park came in and surrendered another walk to ARod. Vladimir Guerrero followed with a double, and so did Jim Thome. It was Thome's second double and it scored ARod, one of three times that ARod crossed the plate in the game.

Troy Percival then came in to face pinch hitter slamming Sammy Sosa. Percival fared no better as Sosa also hit a double to make it three consecutive two-baggers. Percival ended that streak by hitting Bret Boone, to bring up Todd Helton, who had doubled earlier in the inning. Helton struck out to end the inning though. In all, six runs crossed the plate to push the City lead to double digits.

The ‘Burbs got two of those back in the bottom of the 5th off of Jon Lieber. Paul Lo Duca led off with a double, then pinch hitter Jason Giambi single to put men on the corners. Giambi then took everyone by surprise by stealing second, despite being down by ten runs. The strategy paid off, though, as following a Jeff Kent foul out, Ichiro Suzuki hit a single to score Giambi from second and Lo Duca from third. Suzuki was more conservative than Giambi, though, and he was retired at second when Manny Ramirez hit into a force play. Bond followed with a walk but both runners were stranded when Edgar Martinez flew out. After five full innings, the score was 11-3 in favor of the City.

All of the scoring was closed out in the top of the 6th, when Mike Piazza homered off of Percival, driving in Chavez who had been hit by a pitch as mentioned earlier. Joe Randa led off the bottom of the 6th with a double, but advanced no further as Octavio Dotel struck out Shawn Green and Lo Duca, and Mike Stanton came in to retire Jason Giambi on a ground out. The only other threats that the Suburbs mounted were thwarted by bad base running. Suzuki singled in the bottom of the 7th but was picked off by Stanton. Bonds walked to start the 8th but he was gunned down trying to steal second by Piazza.

Sitting on a 13-3 lead, the City Division went quietly in the 8th and 9th. Those were the only times all game that the City went 1-2-3. The Suburban All-Stars decided to do the same in their half of the 9th, with the final out coming on a strike out of Magglio Ordonez by Jason Isringhausen.

The Surburbs still have a narrow 4-3 edge over the City since the All-Star game began seven seasons ago. Once again, every team had at least two representatives. The only City Division player to not make it into the game was reliever Billy Wagner. The only Surburban players to not make it into the game were Mike Cameron and Blake Stein. Thanks to Steve Seydell for managing the Surburbs. Dennis managed the City Stars.