LIVE on FOX: Turner makes slick sliding play ... while mic'd up!

11 minutes ago

ARLINGTON -- Lone Star State? More like All-Star State. Because at Globe Life Field tonight, baseball’s stars at night are shining so bright (clap, clap, clap, clap), deep in the heart of Texas.

The 94th All-Star Game, played at the home of the Rangers, has a distinct Texas vibe, from the player uniforms to the concessions and more. And interestingly, this marks the first time since 1939 and only the third time overall that a reigning World Series champion has hosted the Midsummer Classic (1934 Giants at the Polo Grounds, 1939 Yankees at Yankee Stadium).

We'll be keeping you updated on all the biggest, most fun moments from tonight's Midsummer Classic. Follow along below:

Ohtani breaks the ice

Who else but Shohei Ohtani to get the scoring started in the All-Star Game. The Dodgers slugger launched a three-run homer that was a true no-doubter, and all Aaron Judge -- who was mic'd up and is the only player in the Majors with more homers than Ohtani -- could do was shake his head.

Mic'd up Trea flashes leather

The bottom of the second inning proved a prescient time for the FOX television broadcast to have three Philadelphia Phillies on the mic -- and shortstop Trea Turner proved that he can multi-task.

When Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sliced a ground ball up the middle with one out, Turner ranged to his left, stabbed at the ball with his glove as he laid out, and made a backhanded flip from the dirt to second baseman Ketel Marte as teammate Bryce Harper hooted and hollered over the live commentary: “Let’s go! Are you kidding me? Let’s go!” he yelled.

Turner was feeling the effects of the play a bit because, it turned out, he’d prioritized flashiness over comfort.

“I need my Little League belt back,” Turner said. “This belt’s too nice. I usually wear Little League belts that are elastic so that when I dive I don’t kill myself. I’m trying to wear a show belt for the boys today.”

Phenom Skenes vs. slugger Aaron Judge

This was the epic matchup the baseball world really wanted to see -- the game’s premier power pitcher and the game’s premier power hitter colliding in arguably the highest-profile matchup imaginable at this Midsummer Classic.

It’s a matchup that needed some help to actually occur, given Judge was hitting fourth in the AL’s starting lineup, but Juan Soto had personally guaranteed on Monday that he’d make it happen -- and that he did, drawing a walk off Skenes after fouling a pitch off Globe Life Field’s roof to set up the matchup of titans.

And it was over in the blink of an eye.

Skenes went right after Judge with his big fastball, firing 99.7 mph middle-in that rode in on Judge’s hands -- and MLB’s home run leader chopped it to third base, giving Alec Bohm an easy third out. That wrapped up a 16-pitch, scoreless inning for the 22-year-old sensation, as Skenes officially became the first rookie pitcher to start an All-Star Game since Hideo Nomo in 1995.

Mark your calendars: The Pirates will finish the regular season at Yankee Stadium from Sept. 27-29, when Judge could get his chance for redemption.

Starters take the field!

The 2024 All-Star starters kicked off the Classic in Texas style. When their names were called, each of them entered from the tunnel holding a cowboy hat, which they placed on the heads of the kids who were lined up along the foul line.

Stunting on the red carpet

The best players in the game got a chance to show off their style at the All-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Frutitas Agua Fresca. From cowboy hats to cardigans to special suit linings, there was no shortage of eye-catching fashion statements.