The 2026 All-Star Game was decided early, then protected the rest of the way.
The American League scored three runs in the 1st inning and shut out the National League 4-0 at Citizens Bank Park. Cody Bellinger opened the scoring with a two-run single, Ben Rice followed with an RBI single, and Miguel Vargas added a solo home run in the 8th.
Bellinger was named All-Star Game MVP after driving in the first two runs of the game. The first-inning swing gave the AL all the offense it needed.
The deeper story was the pitching. Eleven American League pitchers combined to keep the National League off the board. MLB Stats API credited the AL staff with a shutout, while the NL finished without a run after nine innings.
The showcase is over. The race comes back next.
The All-Star Game does not change the standings, but it marks the final major pause before the second-half race resumes.
Now the focus shifts from exhibition stage back to team pressure: who holds position, who climbs, and who starts running out of schedule.
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