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The San Francisco Giants announced Thursday they acquired infielder Eduardo Nunez from the Minnesota Twins in return for minor league pitcher Adalberto Mejia.

Entering Friday’s slate of games, Nunez is batting .296 with 12 home runs, 47 RBI and a league-leading 27 stolen bases. 

The 2016 American League All-Star spoke with MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger about leaving the team with which he’s spent the past two-plus seasons:

The 29-year-old has been enjoying his best year in the major leagues and was one of the only bright spots on a Twins team that is one of the worst in the big leagues. 

His 110 hits led the team, and his 12 home runs were tied for third behind Brian Dozier and Miguel Sano, respectively. Nunez has experienced a major jump in the power department, as he had never hit more than five home runs in a season since coming up with the New York Yankees in 2010.

He collected one of his homers in an unconventional way:

Nunez will hit his third year of arbitration after the campaign ends, per Spotrac. He’s set himself up for a nice payday, after earning the first All-Star appearance of his career this season.

Now on his way to San Francisco, Nunez is joining a contender that enters Friday with a 2.0-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. That’s a major change compared to playing on a last-place Twins team that improved to 38-63 after Thursday’s win over the Baltimore Orioles.

This acquisition addresses a big problem the Giants have been dealing with for over a month. They have been without starting third baseman Matt Duffy since June 19 because of a strained Achilles, which has forced the team to use a platoon of Conor Gillaspie and Ramiro Pena in his place.

Nunez will likely slot into the starting third base role until Duffy returns. According to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, Duffy will begin playing minor league rehab games Saturday. 

The Giants will be able to take advantage of Nunez’s versatility and play him all over the infield when Duffy returns.

But to get him, San Francisco had to part with its seventh-best minor league prospect in Mejia, per MLB.com.

Twins interim general manager Rob Antony told Bollinger that six teams were interested in Nunez, adding that Minnesota was looking for “close-to-MLB-ready pitching.”

Mejia is 7-3 with a 2.81 ERA in 18 starts between Double-A and Triple-A this season, as he’s rebounded from a 50-game suspension in 2015 for testing positive for a banned stimulant.

MLB stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Melvin Upton Jr.’s solid bounce-back season was enticing enough for the Toronto Blue Jays to acquire him from the San Diego Padres, Padres executive vice president and general manager A.J. Preller announced Tuesday.

“The San Diego Padres announced they have acquired right-handed pitcher Hansel Rodriguez from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. and cash considerations,” the press release read.

“Thank you to the Padres organization, fans and teammates for all the support and the opportunity,” Upton tweeted. “I enjoyed everything about my time in SD.”

“Im [sic] excited to join my new Blue Jays teammates today and can’t wait to help continue the winning tradition that’s been built here,” Upton added.

Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported the Padres will pay all but $5 million of Upton’s remaining salary.

According to Spotrac, the 31-year-old Upton is earning $15.45 million this season and will make $16.45 million next year before his contract expires at the end of the 2017 season.

Not long ago, Upton’s career looked like it might be over. He was still putting on a uniform, but he wasn’t doing anything to help his team.

Upton’s stint with the Atlanta Braves was especially difficult, as he amassed a negative-0.2 WAR during 2013 and 2014, per FanGraphs.

After the Braves dealt Upton to the Padres as part of the Craig Kimbrel trade in 2015, he turned things around. He hit a respectable .259/.327/.429, playing in just 87 games because of a foot injury that caused him to miss the first two months of the season.

Upton’s numbers haven’t completely returned to his peak years in Tampa Bay, but he’s hitting for more power this season with 16 homers and is showing good speed with 20 stolen bases.

Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs wrote July 6 that Upton’s performance this season makes him close to worth the salary he will make through 2017:

In the past year, Upton has clocked in with a 36% hard-hit rate, matching Jay Bruce and Andrew McCutchen. The Braves got burned. You do have to wonder how much another team would trust Upton, at this point. But he’s made himself appealing again, at least to some extent, and his contract extends through next year, when he’ll earn around $17 million. What’s crazy now is it’s not too hard to imagine Upton actually being worth that salary. All he’d have to be is something like an average outfielder, and lately he’s been clearing that bar.

Upton has managed to reinvent himself after it looked like all hope was lost. He still has some limitations to his game—his on-base percentage isn’t good (.304)—but he is making up for that by using his legs and pop.

There’s always the chance Upton could regress because his career arc has never followed any kind of consistent pattern. But he does have more than 170 games of solid performance since 2015 that suggest he’s going to hold good value until his contract expires.

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The Houston Astros turned to the minor leagues for some help with the stretch run approaching.

The team announced on Sunday infield prospect Alex Bregman was “selected to the Major League roster” and will join the team on Monday. The Astros also noted infielder Danny Worth was designated for assignment in the corresponding move.

The Astros drafted Bregman with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft, and he has quickly ascended to the major league level. The Astros announced that Bregman was promptly placed into the lineup for Monday’s game against the New York Yankees:

Abshire also said “call-up requests reached a crescendo after his performance at the All-Star Futures Game on July 10.” Bregman was only a home run away from the cycle after his initial three at-bats and looked quite comfortable against some of the elite prospects who represented the future of the league.

However, part of the issue blocking his immediate transition to the Astros was the fact his natural position of shortstop is occupied by Carlos Correa, who just so happened to win the American League Rookie of the Year in 2015. What’s more, second baseman Jose Altuve is locked in at his position, so consistent appearances in the middle infield weren’t a realistic possibility for Bregman.

Connor Byrne of MLB Trade Rumors said the team could look to use the youngster at third base or in the corner outfield.

For his part, Bregman was pleased with the opportunity, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com: “Just very excited. I can’t wait to get to work and hopefully help contribute and help win games.”

Bregman continued, “It’s a dream come true. And I’m ready to get to work, keep my mouth shut [and] hopefully help contribute,” per McTaggart.

If he plays anything like he did in the minor leagues, he will contribute. He drilled 20 homers in 80 combined games at Double-A and Triple-A, per Abshire, and also finished with a .333 average and six long balls in 18 games with the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies. The team wished him luck following Sunday’s news:

Keith Law of ESPN.com recently ranked Bregman as the top prospect in baseball, which is daunting to think about for the rest of the American League West considering Correa is 21 years old and Altuve and George Springer are both 26. Houston has put together a formidable young core that figures to compete for the foreseeable future.

Perhaps with the supporting cast in mind, manager A.J. Hinch urged that Bregman doesn’t have to be “Superman” upon his arrival, via Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston:

Houston is a season-best 10 games over .500 at 54-44 and only 2.5 games behind the Texas Rangers in the division as of Sunday. Adding Bregman to the lineup will only make the Astros more dangerous with postseason spots on the line.

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Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr. were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday in Cooperstown, New York. It was fitting that the pair would go in together, as they were two of the most captivating players in their generation.   

Piazza, 47, was one the greatest offensive catchers in MLB history. He was a lifetime .308 hitter with 427 home runs, 1,335 RBI and 1,048 runs scored. He was the 1993 National League Rookie of the Year, a 12-time All-Star and won the NL Silver Slugger Award 10 straight years from 1993 to 2002.

He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins (for five games in 1998), New York Mets, San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics. 

MLB shared an image of his Hall of Fame plaque on Twitter:

Longtime baseball writer Peter Gammons broke down his career:

In his Hall of Fame speech, Piazza joked about the differences between himself and Griffey, via Baseball Hall:

He took a moment to praise Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench, via Brian Kenny of MLB Network:

He also thanked Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda.

“He was always there for me like a guardian angel,” he noted, per Baseball Hall.  

He acknowledged the Mets fans in the crowd:

And finally, he had a few words for his father, Vince.

“We made it, Dad,” he said, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “The race is over. Now is the time to smell the roses.”

Kenny was impressed by Piazza’s speech:

Here are Piazza’s full opening remarks:

Up next was The Kid.

MLB shared his plaque:

Griffey, 46, was one of the best center fielders to ever play the game. He finished his career as a lifetime .284 hitter with 630 home runs (sixth-most in history), 1,836 RBI and 1,662 runs scored. He was the 1997 American League MVP, a 13-time All-Star selection and a 10-time Gold Glove Award winner.

He had stints with the Seattle Mariners (twice) and debuted with the team as a 19-year-old in 1989. He also played for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox.

Griffey’s impact went beyond just his numbers, however, as Kevin Pelton of ESPN tweeted:

Griffey spoke with Harold Reynolds about being voted into the Hall of Fame:

In his speech, it didn’t take long for him to get emotional, as Kenny and Baseball Hall shared:

“He taught me how to play, but more importantly how to be a man,” he said of his father, Ken Griffey Sr., who also played professionally. The pair became the first father-son duo to ever take the field together in 1990 with the Mariners. 

He also called Jay Buhner his favorite teammate. 

“Greatest teammate I ever had,” Griffey said, per Baseball Hall. “He spoke the truth—even when you didn’t want to hear it.”

He also had some love for the Mariners.

“Out of my 22 years, I learned that one team will treat you the best—and that’s your first team,” Griffey said, per Baseball Hall. “I’m very proud to be a Seattle Mariner.”

And he even managed to sneak in his signature look from his playing days: the backward cap, via Cut4. 

Here are Griffey’s full opening remarks:

Whereas Griffey was a top prospect and always expected to be a star, Piazza was the ultimate rags-to-riches story. Griffey was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1987 draft, while the Dodgers selected Piazza with the 1,390th overall pick in 1988.

So while Piazza was a rarity in the sport as an offensive juggernaut and Griffey was a fun, wildly exciting and incredibly gifted athlete, the two couldn’t have had more divergent beginnings on their paths to Cooperstown. 

For that reason, it was fitting for them to reach Cooperstown together. In baseball, the hyped prospect who lives up to expectations and the unknown who shatters them both have the chance to make their impact in the game. 

Griffey and Piazza did just that. 

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale did not make his scheduled start against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, but it wasn’t because he was traded or injured.

Rather, Tommy Stokke of FanRag Sports cited a source who noted a “blowup” occurred because Sale “didn’t want to wear throwbacks, so he cut the jerseys up so no one could wear them.”

Naturally, Twitter had a field day with the strange story. 

The White Sox released a statement on Twitter before the game, attempting to explain what happened without delving into the specifics that social media found so humorous:

CBS Sports tried to re-enact the scene:

Justin Fenton of the Baltimore Sun had some fun with the cutting angle:

Jonah Keri of CBS Sports approved of Chicago’s throwbacks:

Fans of the rival Cubs enjoyed the storyline from the city’s South Side, as Bleacher Nation’s Brett Taylor indicated:

Jesse Spector of Sporting News connected the Sale incident to the other big weekend story in baseball:

Here’s the best of the rest:

Even if Sale goes on to win the American League Cy Young Award, many baseball fans will likely remember Saturday’s incident as the biggest story involving the ace this season.

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Boston Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez sported a mere eight home runs in 2016 coming into Wednesday’s game at Fenway Park against the San Francisco Giants, but he looked like a 50-homer presence in the lineup during his team’s 11-7 victory.

Ramirez drilled three home runs as part of Boston’s offensive explosion and finished with six RBI in five plate appearances. His outburst was a timely one considering the Red Sox pitching staff allowed seven runs and failed to put the Giants away for much of the game despite the early offensive support. 

Ramirez’s first home run started the scoring in the hitting slugfest. He drove Matt Cain’s offering the other way and sent Mac Williamson tumbling over the wall in an effort to rob the first baseman:

Ramirez was far from done. He connected on another Cain pitch in his second at-bat and put Boston ahead 5-0 with another two-run dinger in the third. It was a moonshot that cleared the tall fence in left-center field and appeared to give the Red Sox comfortable breathing room in the early going:

While the Giants battled back with seven runs in the fourth and fifth innings after falling behind 8-0, Ramirez helped the Red Sox answer with his third home run of the game in the sixth. The two-run homer also scored David Ortiz and gave Boston a 10-7 advantage, which the team shared on Twitter:

On his third home run, Ramirez confirmed he was swinging for the fences, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.com: “Yep, I got lucky on that one. Yep, I was trying to hit a homer. I was trying to go to the moon.”

He also may have been motivated even more after getting hit in an earlier at-bat, as he said after the game, via Smith: “Every time I get hit that fires me up. It makes a better player. … Sometimes, it’s not Hanley. It’s somebody else.”

Fox Sports: MLB and ESPN Stats & Info put Ramirez’s effort into historical perspective:

David Schoenfield of ESPN.com called it Ramirez’s “best game of his life,” and Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald noted the Fenway Park crowd didn’t seem to care that the first baseman didn’t manage a fourth homer in his final plate appearance:

Ramirez talked about his final at-bat and the possibility of hitting four homers, per Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal: “Everybody was telling me, ‘You’ve got to for it.’ I said, ‘I don’t hit homers when I try to hit homers.’ (They said), ‘It don’t matter. You’ve got three already. Swing as hard as you can.'”

While Ramirez hadn’t boasted much power this season before Wednesday, he does have an impressive resume when it comes to hitting the ball out of the park. His three homers give him 11 on the campaign, which marks his 11th straight season with double-digit home run totals. He connected on 19 in 2015 in his first year with the Red Sox and has six different seasons with 20 or more long balls.

The three-time All-Star and 2006 National League Rookie of the Year posted 33 home runs in 2008 and has the potential to be a masher in the middle of Boston’s lineup heading into the stretch run if Wednesday’s showing is any indication. 

First-place Boston already leads all of baseball in runs scored and will be even more dangerous if Ramirez parlays his three-homer game into a power surge over the final two-plus months of the schedule.

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The Chicago Cubs have addressed their need for help in the bullpen by acquiring left-hander Mike Montgomery from the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday. 

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported the Cubs and Mariners were close to a deal that involved Montgomery going to Chicago in exchange for minor leaguer Dan Vogelbach. The Cubs would later announce the deal, adding it would be Montgomery and RHP Jordan Pries going to Chicago, while Vogelbach and RHP Paul Blackburn would be heading to the Mariners. 

It only seemed like a matter of time before the Cubs added at least one reliever before the Aug. 1 trade deadline. It’s the one glaring weakness for the team, which entered play on Thursday ranked seventh in the National League with a 3.82 relievers ERA, per ESPN.com. 

Montgomery has been terrific out of Seattle’s bullpen this season. The 27-year-old has a 2.34 ERA with 49 hits allowed and 54 strikeouts in 61.2 innings. His 174 ERA+ would rank second among Chicago relievers with at least 20 appearances, per Baseball-Reference.com.

After a promising start to the season, the Mariners entered Wednesday with a 47-47 record and 5.5 games out of a wild-card spot. If they are starting to go into sell mode, moving a good reliever for an everyday player makes sense. 

Vogelbach has put up some big numbers in the minors, owning a .290/.389/.486 slash line since 2011. Passan noted that Vogelbach draws comparisons to Billy Butler of the Oakland A’s because he’s strictly a designated hitter who can really hit. 

The Cubs had no need for Vogelbach, who would be limited to first base in the NL if he had to play defense. Anthony Rizzo has that position locked down in Chicago for a long time. 

The Mariners don’t have an immediate opening at designated hitter with Nelson Cruz primarily serving that role and signed through 2018, though he has also played in right field if they want to sacrifice defense to get more offense in the lineup. 

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The Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals’ Sunday matinee ended up being the equivalent of two games. The showdown at Nationals Park stretched all the way into the 18th inning before the visitors prevailed, 2-1.

In terms of highlights, they were few and far between thanks to exceptional pitching by both clubs, and, well, quiet bats played a big part, too.

Pirates left fielder Starling Marte opened the scoring in the top of the sixth with an RBI double off Max Scherzer—and broke the long drought with a two-out home run off Oliver Perez in the top of the 18th:

Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reacted to Marte’s game-winner:

Although Washington managed two singles in the bottom of the 18th, it couldn’t plate the equalizer. Jonathon Niese capped off his third inning of scoreless work by getting Danny Espinosa to strike out swinging.

All-Star closer Mark Melancon entered for Pittsburgh to try to slam the door in the bottom of the ninth—and came close to doing so until Washington foiled his bid for his 28th save of the season.

On a 2-2 count, Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy changed the game with one swing, jacking a two-out, pinch-hit solo shot to right field to tie the game.

And then there was a whole lot of nothing in terms of scoring.

The closest call prior to Marte’s decisive dinger came in the top of the 16th, when Pittsburgh’s Eric Fryer drew a two-out walk. Josh Harrison doubled to center field thereafter, but the Nats threw Fryer out at home plate to preserve the 1-1 deadlock, as the team’s Twitter account showed:

To that point, Washington had only one hit in the extra innings, while the Pirates had three following Harrison’s extra-base hit. After another hitless inning for the Nats in the 16th, their official Twitter account noted the historical significance of Sunday’s contest:

The symbolism in the photograph was appropriate. Fans may have been seeing stars as they bore witness to an extraordinarily lengthy game.

ESPN Stats & Info supplied additional context as the duel proceeded:

At least one youngster in the stands was growing impetuous as the action unfolded, courtesy of the Pirates’ official Twitter account:

Thankfully for the emotional youth and the Pittsburgh faithful, Marte came through on multiple occasions to give the Pirates the win.

Homer McFanboy captured the essence of how Nationals fans had to be feeling afterward:

A lot of credit should go to Pittsburgh starting pitcher Chad Kuhl, whose appearance on the mound had to be a distant memory for anyone watching. Kuhl pitched six innings of one-hit ball with no walks and five strikeouts, setting the Pirates up to win in regulation.

Matt Sunday of DK Pittsburgh Sports praised Kuhl for the role he played in the victory:

In the midst of a tight National League wild-card race, every game holds significance for Pittsburgh. It was a much-needed triumph for the Pirates after they had dropped their prior two games to the Nationals.

Washington can take solace in knowing it has a six-game lead in the NL East—that is, until taking into account what happened last year.

Touted as 2015 World Series contenders, the Nats collapsed down the stretch and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

It’d be foolish to weigh one game so heavily with plenty of baseball left this season, but Sunday’s loss had to be draining for Washington. The club will at least have a day of rest before Tuesday’s home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Postgame Reaction

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle spoke on the epic play that denied his team the go-ahead run in the 16th.

“It’s the best relay in the history of the game in the 16th inning. Ever,” said Hurdle, per the Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno.

Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post passed along a fascinating anecdote from Nats manager Dusty Baker:

Marte made light of his game-winning heroics, saying, per Brink, “Too many innings, we were tired, it was time for a home run.”

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The 2016 MLB All-Star Game started with plenty of fireworks at Petco Park in San Diego on Tuesday. Though the National League got on the board first, the American League prevailed 4-2 for its fourth win in a row.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant captivated the crowd with a solo shot in the top of the first off Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale.

MLB.com shared video of Bryant’s win in the Windy City matchup:

Adam Jacobi of SB Nation had a great reaction to Bryant’s dinger:

But the NL’s celebration and lead were relatively short-lived. In the bottom of the second, the AL went to work, and two reigning World Series champions served as the catalysts.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer blasted an equalizing homer off former teammate Johnny Cueto—now of the San Francisco Giants—and Royals catcher Salvador Perez hit a two-run long ball to put his side on top.

ESPN.com’s Jim Trotter responded to the explosive action to begin the contest:

ESPN Stats & Info noted the significance of the Kansas City duo’s homers:

David Ortiz is in the midst of his last season, so the Boston Red Sox legend got a warm reception when he was lifted for a pinch runner after drawing a walk, courtesy of Fox Sports on Twitter:

The MMQB’s Peter King commented on Ortiz’s grand exit:

It didn’t take long for Hosmer to add some insurance thereafter, as he drove in Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, Ortiz’s substitute, with a single in the third to stretch the AL’s advantage to 4-1.

The 2-for-3, two-RBI performance garnered Hosmer the MVP Award.

The NL scored a run in the fourth on a single by Miami Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna that plated Giants catcher Buster Posey, but the AL bullpen held its foe in check the rest of the night.

One of the most notable occurrences during the latter stages of the game was a review, as highlighted by MLB Replay:

In addition to being at the center of the maiden All-Star replay, Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy made a key defensive play in the seventh.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Murphy denied Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor a hit with a fine stop and throw to first.

The NL filled the bags in the top of the eighth against New York Yankees reliever Andrew Miller. Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy and Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Starling Marte singled before Cincinnati Reds left fielder Adam Duvall walked. Miller had thrown 28 pitches, and Royals manager Ned Yost pulled him.

It was up to Will Harris of the Houston Astros to retire the side. He did so in suspenseful fashion, striking out shortstop Aledmys Diaz of the St. Louis Cardinals looking with a low fastball on the outside corner on a 3-2 pitch.

Jose Silva tweeted how Astros and AL fans felt after the clutch K:

Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton slammed the door in the ninth but not without some minor drama.

Britton allowed a leadoff single to Murphy before Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt grounded into a fielder’s choice. Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado then grounded into a double play to end it.

For pitching a perfect second, Indians starter Corey Kluber got the winning decision for the AL.

With the victory, the American League gained home-field advantage for the World Series. The Texas Rangers own the best record in the Junior Circuit, but the Indians and Orioles aren’t far behind. The Red Sox and Blue Jays hold the wild-card positions, and the Astros are two games back.

After three straight victories from 2010-12, the NL has fallen into a slump at the Midsummer Classic. It’s not as bad as its last drought, though. After the Senior Circuit won in 1996, the AL claimed 12 wins in 13 years with an extra-innings tie in 2002.

San Francisco topped Kansas City without home-field advantage in the 2014 World Series, but the National League will have to hone its game in the years to come to reverse its fortunes at the All-Star Game.

Postgame Reaction

Perez shared his thoughts on the AL’s victory with Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal:

Beyond the implications of what Tuesday’s outcome meant to the entire American League, Hosmer cited the victory as a possible spark for his Royals club.

“Hopefully this is something we can all rally upon for the second half and find a way to use that home-field advantage,” Hosmer said, per the Associated Press’ Ronald Blum.

Hosmer elaborated on the importance of that edge in the World Series, saying, per Blum, “We know how much that home-field advantage helped us. It just brings that sense of comfort to the team and gives you a jump-start for the whole series.”

Cueto implied he was banged up but didn’t say it impacted his performance.

“This morning I got up and didn’t feel well. That is not an excuse,” Cueto said, per Blum. “I just left two pitches up, and that was the story.”

Marlins ace Jose Fernandez talked about facing Oritz, saying, per Blum, “I couldn’t believe that I was actually pitching to him. We both looked at each other and smiled.”

Ortiz thought he had an agreement with Fernandez to get some favorable pitches, but apparently the youngster pulled some trickery on him.

“I was supposed to hit a home run in my second at-bat. My boy told me he was going to throw me a fastball, and the first pitch was a changeup,” Ortiz said, per Blum. “Then 3-2 he threw me a slider, and I’m like, ‘Are you trying to break my back?’ But he said it was the catcher’s fault.”

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The MLB Home Run Derby was a hard act to follow during Monday’s ESPN programming from Petco Park in San Diego, but the All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game had its fair share of action worth tuning in for.

A mix of former players and high-profile personalities took the field Sunday for the annual exhibition, and as Monday’s telecast revealed, the American League defeated the National League 8-7.

In the sixth and final inning, teen actor Cameron Boyce tried to tag up to score the tying run—only to run into a brick wall: Ballers star Omar Benson Miller.

MLB GIFS shared the replay:

Miller didn’t have much sympathy for Boyce, who took the brunt of the collision at home plate:

NL manager and former Olympic softball pitcher Jennie Finch reacted to the final play:

There were less painful highlights from the game, though.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees provided some fireworks for viewers who were still buzzing from Giancarlo Stanton’s Derby triumph, socking a homer in the top of the first, as MLB GIFS showed:

The superstar signal-caller’s solo dinger was much to the Saints’ liking:

Before Brees revived his career in New Orleans, he played for the San Diego Chargers, so he got a great reception from fans.

As a former MLB outfielder, Curtis Pride was basically cheating by playing in the contest. He jacked a two-run homer over the moved-in fence in the bottom of the first to put his squad up 2-1.

Gallaudet University, where Pride is the head baseball coach, shared footage of the long ball:

Actor Jamie Foxx led off the bottom of the second by calling his shot, invoking Babe Ruth as he prepared to take on another former New York Yankees star, David Wells.

MLB GIFS showed what else happened before Foxx took a swing:

Foxx wound up legging out a single and came around to score to make it 3-2.

Former NFL linebacker-turned-actor Terry Crews showed off his impressive physique by arriving at the plate with his shirt off.

Cut4 provided the visual spectacle:

The Roman deity-esque sculpture of a man had a less aesthetically pleasing at-bat, swinging and missing to strike out on that trip to the batter’s box.

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria wrestled with the dilemma of poking fun at Crews while also minding his manners:

Billy Bean—not to be confused with Oakland Athletics executive Billy Beane—ripped a home run down the right field line to help the National League stay within striking distance.

But it was the AL’s game thanks to Miller’s plate-blocking and perhaps an ill-advised gamble by Boyce.

MLB couldn’t have hoped for a better or more comical conclusion. Given the success of this year’s contest, there’s no reason the game can’t continue as an All-Star tradition.

However, with the revamped Home Run Derby format injecting new excitement into the festivities leading up to the All-Star Game, the legends and celebrities have their work cut out for them if they want to outshine the game’s best power hitters.

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