Astros severely outnumbering Rangers at All-Star Game painful reminder of AL West power shift
MIAMI -- He was the lone Ranger, and that's exactly how Yu Darvish felt.
Lonely.
The Rangers ace didn't have to be at Tuesday night's MLB 88th All-Star Game at Marlins Park, but he felt an obligation to the franchise.
"I came here because I felt like the Rangers needed to be a part of this," he said through an interpreter. "But I feel lonely being the lone representative."
His bank account, however, got some company -- a $50,000 bonus for making the All-Star team.
Not only was Darvish the Rangers' lone representative, he was outnumbered five to one by the Houston Astros. The Rangers' AL West rivals, located south geographically but north by 16.5 games in the standings, not only had five representatives at the All-Star Game, three were starters - shortstop Carlos Correa, second baseman Jose Altuve and left fielder George Springer. They were joined by pitchers Lance McCullers and Dallas Keuchel, who was unavailable because of a pinched nerve in his neck.
Not that the plethora of Astros made much of a difference in the outcome, which the American League won 2-1 on the strength of a 10th-inning solo home run from Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano.
"I know I was facing one of the best closers in the game," Cano, who was also named MVP, said of the Chicago Cubs reliever Wade Davis. "I was ready for whatever he threw over the plate. I was just trying to swing hard and see if I could hit one out. I was lucky to hit it out."
The game had a bit of levity in the sixth inning, when former Ranger Nelson Cruz came to home plate with his cell phone. He asked St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina to take a photo of him with veteran umpire Joe West. Both Molina and West obliged.
