Diaz's All-Star baptism: Bases loaded, two outs, down 4-2 and ...
It was a storybook situation for Aledmys Diaz. The ending, unfortunately, was not.
The St. Louis Cardinals rookie got his first All-Star at-bat with the bases loaded, two outs and the National League trailing 4-2 in the top of the eighth.
Diaz, named to the All-Star Game in place of the injured Matt Carpenter, came to the plate against the Astros' Will Harris. The first pitch was a breaking ball out of the zone, which Diaz decided not to chase and went up 1-0.
The second pitch was far more controversial. The home-plate umpire decided the ball caught the outside corner, a call Diaz appeared to think questionable. He fouled off the third pitch and went down 1-2 in the count.
But he gained ground again by holding off -- at the last second -- on another pitch outside the zone. Then Harris missed the zone again and brought the count to 3-2. But the pitcher went back to the outside corner and caught Diaz looking to end the at-bat and the inning.
The American League ultimately won 4-2.
