Jean Segura wasn't selected to the American League All-Star team when rosters were initially announced, but after a strong push from fans, teammates and the Mariners' marketing department, the shortstop earned a spot via the Camping World Final Vote.
Segura showed the voters they made the right choice on Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., when he hammered a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth inning to help the AL to an 8-6, 10-inning victory in the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard.
Segura, who was pinch-hitting for Francisco Lindor, stepped to the plate with two runners on thanks to singles by Shin-Soo Choo and George Springer. Segura caught a break against Brewers lefty Josh Hader when NL first baseman Joey Votto dropped a 3-2 foul popup by the dugout railing at Nationals Park.
Segura made it count, drilling the next pitch -- a 95-mph fastball -- over the wall in left-center, landing it in the same bullpen that Aaron Judge and Michael Trout had homered into earlier in the game.
After returning to the dugout, Segura was greeted by Seattle teammate Nelson Cruz, who took a video of the home run and its aftermath on his phone.
• Watch Cruz's video of Segura's home run
Cruz later told FOX's Ken Rosenthal, "He told me the whole game, 'I'm going to hit a homer. I'm going to hit a homer.'"
Segura's 2-for-2 night with three RBIs and two runs scored was one of the most impressive in the box score, and he looked to be in line for All-Star Game MVP honors after his homer gave the AL a 5-2 lead, but those went to the Astros' Alex Bregman, who hit a tiebreaking homer of his own in the 10th after a slipup by one of Segura's Mariners teammates.
Edwin Diaz entered in the ninth inning with a 5-3 lead but surrendered a two-run shot to Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett, sending the game into extras. Nonetheless, Diaz got the win as the AL put up three tuns in the top of the 10th, including one scored by Segura, who singled.

Diaz leads the Majors with 36 saves in 39 opportunities and has yet to appear in a loss this season, as the Mariners have come back to win in all three of his blown saves. The AL did the same on Tuesday.
Cruz was this year's oldest All-Star at 38, but he certainly showed off his social-media savvy. In addition to Segura's blast, the slugger posted an Instagram story of himself and his fellow Mariners All-Stars during pregame introductions. Cruz walked in his only at-bat, pinch-hitting in the sixth for DH J.D. Martinez.

In his first All-Star appearance, Mitch Haniger came to bat with two on and two out in the seventh. The Mariners' RBI leader was rung up on a slider that appeared to miss the inside corner as part of an 0-for-2 night.

Haniger, however, made a running catch in right field on Lorenzo Cain's fly ball for the final out of the game.