Coming into the 96th MLB All-Star Game in the City of Brotherly Love, the American League held the all-time edge with 48 wins, 45 losses, and two ties. In recent years, the AL had largely dominated the Midsummer Classic, though 2025 proved to be an exception as the National League earned just its second win in the previous 12 editions. This year, Cristopher Sánchez was given the honor of starting in front of the home crowd, but an uncharacteristically shaky outing dashed those hopes as the AL avenged last year’s defeat. Even so, NL manager Dave Roberts stood by his starter.

“You know what? I think that with Cristopher, it was very emotional for him pitching here, being a start of the game,” the Dodgers manager reflected on Sánchez’s performance, per The Sporting Tribune. “So he just wasn’t as sharp with his command as he normally is. But it’s one of those things that it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Cristopher Sánchez has an 11-4 record and a 2.62 ERA this season, with 144 strikeouts over 20 starts for the Philadelphia Phillies. Sánchez’s stellar performance, for almost the entire first half, earned him his second All-Star selection, but his Tuesday outing was a stark contrast to his usual outings. 

He started on a high note, striking out Mike Trout. But then he allowed a single and walked two batters from the American League. The southpaw pitched to Yordan Alvarez, who secured a base hit up the middle. Then, there was Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers.

Sánchez allowed a walk to the catcher, and Shea missed the strike zone only by a bit.

All of these laid the foundation as Cody Bellinger recorded a two-run single, and Ben Rice added another RBI single to put the AL ahead 3-0. Although Sánchez finished the inning without giving away any more runs, the damage had been done. 

The NL team just couldn’t get the offense going, and instead of repeating last year’s feat, the AL completed its revenge with a 4-0 final score. 

The 95th MLB All-Star Game made history by introducing a first-of-its-kind finish. After the score remained tied 6-6 through nine innings, the National League edged the American League 4-3 in a six-player home run swing-off.

Moving on, instead of focusing heavily on the 29-year-old’s unprecedented outing, Roberts chose to make it more about Philadelphia.

He praised the city and MLB for the event. Initially, Dave Roberts didn’t expect “a warm welcome” in Philadelphia. But after the game, he only had good things to say about the Phillies players and the fans who made it special for all of them. Even Cristopher Sánchez voiced something similar.

Coming from nothing and starting an All-Star Game in front of the home crowd was “incredible” for him. He even saluted the fans to express his appreciation. 

Sánchez, despite the rough outing, didn’t want to yield in front of forty thousand fans. So he requested the NL manager, Dave Roberts, to let him finish the inning. Roberts respected his wish, and both entities prioritized the experience over the final score. 

However, Cristopher Sánchez will try to forget the early struggles during the ASG and get ready for the second half of the regular season. The Phillies will host the New York Mets this weekend, and right after that, the Los Angeles Dodgers will visit Citizens Bank Park again to take on their NL rivals.