ATLANTA — After finishing nine innings all tied up, Major League Baseball All-Star Game was decided by a swing-off for the first time, with the National League emerging victorious after blowing a six-run lead over the final three innings.
In the impromptu home run derby at Truist Park in Atlanta, the teams picked three players to each take three swings. Brent Rooker hit two homers to lead things off for the American League. Kyle Stowers responded with one in his round, then Randy Arozarena also only managed one home run.
Trailing 3-1, Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber came through in the clutch, homering on all three of his swings to put the NL ahead. Then, Jonathan Aranda failed to go long on any of his swings – giving the NL a 4-3 win in the swing-off, with two-time Home Run Derby champion Pete Alonso waiting on deck.
Schwarber was named the game’s MVP for his heroic performance in the swing-off.
‘It was really fun. I credit the guys, too, on our side who were really into it,’ Schwarber said. ‘They were cheering along. The fans were into it. Watching the last guy there and we were all kind of just really into it.’
The new tiebreaker format was installed in 2022, but this was the first time since that the Midsummer Classic had finished even after nine innings. Under this format, the game wound up no winning or losing pitcher – but the NL was officially credited with a 7-6 victory.
‘It will be interesting to see where that goes,’ AL manager Aaron Boone said after the game. ‘There’s probably a world where you could see that in the future, where maybe it’s in some regular season mix. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if people start talking about it like that.’
The NL’s win is just the second time the Senior Circuit has emerged victorious since 2013 and the AL now holds a 48-45-2 advantage in the all-time series.
The AL had trailed 6-0 in the seventh and rallied back scoring two in the ninth to tie the game. NL manager Dave Roberts opted to start the final frame with Padres closer Robert Suarez, who gave up a one-out RBI double to Bobby Witt Jr. That prompted Roberts to bring in the Mets’ Edwin Diaz. The right-hander retired the first batter he faced but Steven Kwan’s infield single brought Witt home to make it 6-6.
Boston’s Aroldis Chapman came on for the bottom of the ninth and retired the NL in order to send the contest to the tiebreaker.
The game’s scoring began before AL starter Tarik Skubal had even recorded an out, when Ketel Marte laced a two-run double into the right-field corner to score Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. But the reigning Cy Young winner limited the damage there, retiring the next three batters with a man on second.
The sides traded zeroes until Alonso hit an opposite-field three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-0 – the first time the Mets slugger has gone long in the game itself. A few batters later, Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll crushed a solo shot to right-center, extending the NL’s lead to 6-0.
Seven NL pitchers had combined to toss six scoreless innings, but the AL answered right back in the top of the seventh, halving the deficit on Brent Rooker’s three-run homer off Giants reliever Randy Rodriguez. Witt added an RBI groundout in the frame, cutting the lead to 6-4.
Brewers phenom Jacob Misiorowski was named an All-Star after just five career starts, which caused a stir around baseball – but Roberts had enough faith in the youngster to bring him into the eighth with a two-run lead. The 23-year-old flamethrower worked around a hit, but got three outs to notch a hold.
The game featured a pair of poignant moments for Los Angeles Dodgers players, the first when Clayton Kershaw – selected for the team as a “Legend Pick” – was removed by Roberts after retiring a pair of batters in the second inning. The future Hall of Famer left to applause, but it was just a preview of what was coming.
First baseman Freddie Freeman, who spent the first 12 years of his career with the Braves, was replaced with one out in the top of the third, allowing the two-time World Series champion a chance to tip his cap to the Atlanta fans while receiving a thunderous standing ovation.
‘I’m OK with crying. That’s just how I am,’ Freeman said. ‘But I didn’t do it today.’
The 2026 All-Star Game will be held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the Phillies’ first time hosting since 1996.
All-Star Game MVP: Kyle Schwarber
The Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber was named MVP of the 2025 All-Star Game after homering on all three swings in the tiebreaking swing-off. An unbelievably clutch performance in the impromptu home run run derby for Schwarber, who is a free agent at the end of the 2025 season.
NL wins tiebreaker swing-off 4-3!
American League: 3
Brent Rooker: 2 HR
Randy Arozarena – 1 HR
Jonathan Aranda – 0 HR
National League: 4
Kyle Stowers – 1 HR
Kyle Schwarber – 3 HR
Pete Alonso – N/A
All-Star Game tiebreaker format
Unlike typical regular-season and postseason MLB games, the All-Star Game does not feature extra innings. Instead, the leagues came up with an even more interesting way to determine a winner if the game is knotted up after nine innings: another Home Run Derby.
AL ties it up with ninth-inning rally
With the NL clinging to a two-run lead in the ninth, things got dicey. NL manager Dave Roberts opted to start the inning with Padres closer Robert Suarez, who gave up a one-out RBI double to Bobby Witt Jr. That prompted Roberts to bring in the Mets’ Edwin Diaz, who retired the first batter he faced. But Steven Kwan’s infield single brought Witt home to score, tying the game.
Jacob Misiorowski pitches scoreless eighth
The Milwaukee Brewers’ 23-year-old phenom was named an All-Star after just five career starts, which ruffled some feathers around baseball. NL manager Dave Roberts brought him on in a setup role with a 6-4 lead in the eighth inning, tossing a scoreless inning around a single and a couple of loud outs.
That counts as a hold for Misiorowski!
Brent Rooker home run starts AL rally
Athletics slugger Brent Rooker hit a three-run homer off the Giants’ Randy Rodriguez in the top of the seventh, cutting the AL’s 6-0 deficit in half. Maikel Franco followed Rookier’s blast with a walk and then stole second, advancing to third on a throwing error by catcher Hunter Goodman. Bobby Witt Jr.’s groundout brought Garcia in to score, making it a 6-4 game.
Hank Aaron tribute in Atlanta
Atlanta had to wait four years for its All-Star tribute to Hank Aaron, the baseball icon and Hall of Famer who died in January 2021.
Corbin Carroll home run extends NL lead
Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll hit a solo homer to right-center off Tigers right-hander Casey Mize, giving the NL a 6-0 lead just a few batters after Pete Alonso’s three-run homer.
Carroll, the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year, had 21 home runs, 10 triples and 11 stolen bases in the first half.
Pete Alonso home run makes it 5-0
The New York Mets slugger clubbed a three-run homer to right field, an opposite-field blast off lefty Kris Bubic that extended the NL’s lead to 5-0.
Alonso entered the All-Star break with a .908 OPS, 21 homers and 77 RBIs. He’s just five home runs behind Darryl Strawberry on the Mets’ all-time list.
Through four innings: NL 2, AL 0
Ketel Marte’s two-run double in the first inning remains the difference so far at Truist Park, with five NL pitchers –Paul Skenes, Clayton Kershaw, Jason Adam, Logan Webb and David Peterson – combining to toss four scoreless frames.
Freddie Freeman leaves to standing ovation
ATLANTA – The incessant pressure for Freddie Freeman to emote has mercifully come to an end.
From an on-camera interview moments before the All-Star Game in which Fox Sports asked all the leading questions, to an extra-long lingering over his name during pregame introductions that were otherwise conducted at one and a half times the usual speed, to a mid-inning defensive replacement, Freeman won’t have to think about crying anymore.
National League leads 2-0 after two innings
Yankees lefty Carlos Rodon worked around Pete Crow-Armstrong’s two-out double in the bottom of the second, getting Shohei Ohtani to ground out to first to end the threat.
The NL is 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, with Ketel Marte’s two-run double in the first the runs so far.
Clayton Kershaw in to pitch second inning
Chosen for the All-Star roster as commissioner Rob Manfred’s ‘Legend Pick,’ the future Hall of Fame southpaw relieved Paul Skenes in the second inning. A three-time Cy Young winner, Kershaw recently became the 20th pitcher with 3,000 career strikeouts.
Kershaw – who was mic’d up – got Cal Raleigh to line out to left and struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. looking, before giving way to Padres reliever Jason Adam, walking off the field to a nice ovation from the crowd in Atlanta.
Ketel Marte opens the scoring, NL leads 2-0
Shohei Ohtani singled to center and Ronald Acuña Jr. managed an infield single before Tarik Skubal recorded an out, bringing Ketel Marte to the plate in a big spot. The Diamondbacks slugger laced a double into the right field corner to plate two runs, with Acuña coming all the way around from first to score.
But Skubal limited the damage, getting Freddie Freeman to ground out before striking out Manny Machado and Will Smith.
Paul Skenes gets MLB All-Star Game underway
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace followed up by whiffing Riley Greene for the second out, then got Aaron Judge to ground out to second base to end the top of the first inning.
Zac Brown Band performs All-Star national anthem
MLB All-Star Game starting lineups
American League
Starting pitcher: Tarik Skubal, Tigers
2B Gleyber Torres, Tigers
LF Riley Greene, Tigers
RF Aaron Judge, Yankees
C Cal Raleigh, Mariners
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
DH Ryan O’Hearn, Orioles
3B Junior Caminero, Rays
CF Javier Baez, Tigers
SS Jacob Wilson, Athletics
National League
Starting pitcher: Paul Skenes, Pirates
DH Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
LF Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves
2B Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks
1B Freddie Freeman, Dodgers
3B Manny Machado, Padres
C Will Smith, Dodgers
RF Kyle Tucker, Cubs
SS Francisco Lindor, Mets
CF Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs
Where is the MLB All-Star Game 2025?
The 2025 Midsummer Classic is at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.
MLB All-Star Game history
Series history: AL leads 48-44-2
American League’s last win: 2024 (5-3 win)
National League’s last win: 2023 (3-2 win)
The American League leads the National League 48-44-2 in the all-time series record of the MLB All-Star Game.
The American League has dominated the Midsummer Classic over the last decade, as the American League has won 11 of the last 12 All-Star Games. That dominance only strengthens for the American League when you go back further in the record books, as the American League has won 19 of the last 24 All-Star Games since 2000.
The National League’s longest win streak in the All-Star Game spanned from 1972 to 1982, when it won 11 consecutive games. The National League’s 11-game win streak is the longest win streak by a single league in the history of the All-Star Game.
Jacob Misiorowski: Brewers’ young All-Star earns headlines
ATLANTA — Misiorowski, who stands 6-foot-7, says it’s been a whirlwind since making his MLB debut on June 12, when he tossed five no-hit innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.
‘The last five weeks have been insane,’ Misiorowski said with a smile. ‘I was hoping for the All-Star break to be one of those times where you could sit back and kind of reflect on everything. But we’re here now and we’re doing this.’
National League manager Dave Roberts defended the inclusion of Misiorowski, who is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts in his five starts, touching 103 mph.
‘My North Star is the All-Star Game should be the game’s best players. It’s about the fans and what they want to see,’ Roberts said. ‘So for this young kid to be named an All-Star, I couldn’t be more excited for him. …
‘It’s an easy answer because if it brings excitement, attention to our game, then I’m all about it.’
Jacob Wilson: Athletics rookie has All-Star pitchers fuming
ATLANTA — Yankees All-Star pitcher Carlos Rodon saw Jacob Wilson in the American League clubhouse Monday, stopped him, and moaned about the difficulty of pitching to him.
“I said, ‘Dude, I’m looking at scouting reports on you and it says to throw fastballs up and in because you’re not supposed to have any hard contact.’ I throw a four-seamer up and in, and you hit a double off me. Come on.’
Shohei Ohtani, Mamiko Tanaka arrive on red carpet
Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne stun on All-Star red carpet
2026 MLB All-Star Game location
Next year’s All-Star Game will be held at CItizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. The club lasted hosted the Midsummer Classic in 1996 at Veterans Stadium.
