Detroit Tigers Go Hitless in 96th MLB All-Star Game as Verlander Bids Farewell

'Heroes get remembered, but legends never die'

The MLB All-Star Game concluded Tuesday night, and another chapter was written in one of the most fascinating books in sports history as Major League Baseball pulled out all the stops to remind us why baseball is America's pastime during America's 250th birthday celebration.

The absolute most magical All-Star break in all of sports belonged to the American League this year, as it held the National League to just three hits in a 4-0 victory. The first shutout in an All-Star game in 14 years. It marked the A.L.'s 11th win in the last 13 All-Star Games, though the two leagues have traded victories back and forth over the last five years.

There's no other All-Star Game like it. The Midsummer Classic dates back to 1933, making it older than most people's grandparents. It holds memories that get passed down from generation to generation, and because of that, the magic behind the All-Star Game is unmatched for baseball fans.

Stoic players stand side by side. Highlights of improbable strikeouts, home runs being robbed, and dramatic walk-off Home Run Derby moments flood our memories. Pictures from old All-Star Games, with players smiling and laughing together, make you think about how great baseball once was and what it would have been like to experience that era.

Sometimes that nostalgia can cloud your view of what today's All-Star Game means, but it shouldn't. In another 100 years, when photos from the 2000s and beyond resurface, they'll seem just as magical to the fans watching the 2126 All-Star Game. This is our era, and these are the memories we get to witness live.

Seeing the game's greatest players compete against one another with fierce competitiveness while still sharing smiles and enjoying the moment reminds you just how incredible this sport truly is.

For Detroit, it was four times as special, with four Tigers making the trip to Philadelphia to represent the Old English D—a logo that has been proudly represented for 96 years since the first All-Star Game in 1933.

Justin Verlander, a legacy selection for this year's game, made one final appearance at the Midsummer Classic as a player. Verlander has now been selected to 10 All-Star Games and will forever hold a legendary place in Tigers, Astros, and MLB history. He didn't appear in Tuesday's game and still hasn't pitched for Detroit since making his first and only start back in March.

Verlander was mic'd up early in the game while sitting in the dugout, where he shared that he's still battling pain in his legs when finishing his delivery on his plant foot. Even so, he remains hopeful he can "catch lightning in a bottle and help the Tigers late," according to Verlander.

It wasn't the best showing for the National League, and it certainly wasn't a memorable night offensively for the Detroit Tigers.

Detroit's lone starter was outfielder Riley Greene, who became the first Tigers outfielder since Al Kaline to make three consecutive All-Star appearances.

The American League came out swinging, forcing National League starter Cristopher Sánchez to throw more than 30 pitches in the opening inning. With two outs, Yankees teammates Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice kept the inning alive, pushing across the second and third runs of the game before bringing Greene to the plate as the eighth hitter in the American League lineup.

Greene gripped it and ripped it but couldn't catch up to Sánchez's low-and-away pitches, striking out to end the inning.

In his second at-bat, Greene was again beaten by low-and-away breaking balls, striking out swinging for the second time. All three strikes appeared to finish below the zone.

The first of Detroit's two reserves to enter the game was catcher Dillon Dingler.

Dingler made his first and only plate appearance in the fifth inning but couldn't catch up to Washington Nationals rookie sensation Foster Griffin. After spending the previous three seasons pitching in Japan, Griffin signed a one-year deal with Washington and has turned it into a remarkable 10-2 season and an All-Star selection. Griffin made quick work of Dingler, striking him out swinging on a fastball.

Kevin McGonigle was the final Tiger to appear, entering at shortstop in the bottom of the fifth before leading off the top of the sixth inning.

As he walked to the plate, the nearby Philadelphia native was greeted with a loud ovation from the hometown crowd. McGonigle grounded out to second base on a 1-1 pitch, drawing another warm response from the fans.

He came up again in the eighth inning after division rival Matt Vargas blasted the game's only extra-base hit into the second deck. That's a tough act to follow. McGonigle battled through the at-bat but ultimately struck out swinging, joining the rest of Detroit's hitters.

Unfortunately for Tigers fans, the All-Star Game reflected much of the club's first half offensively. Detroit hitters combined to go 0-for-5 with four swinging strikeouts and one groundout. Dating back to last season, Tigers players are now 0-for-13 in the Midsummer Classic.

McGonigle did provide one defensive highlight, making a nice leaping catch on a hard-hit ball in the bottom of the eighth, but it was the lone on-field highlight for Detroit.

Still, it was another memorable night for the Old English D, even if the box score didn't reflect it. Verlander made his final All-Star appearance, Greene earned his third consecutive selection, and both Dingler and McGonigle made their All-Star debuts. For McGonigle, doing it as a rookie in his hometown made the moment even more special.

Years from now, the statistics won't be what people remember. They'll remember that they were there.

Now the Tigers turn their attention to the final 66 games of the season. Sitting 4.5 games out of a playoff spot, every game matters from here on out.