dominates

PHILADELPHIA — Dylan Cease struck out the side in the first inning, combining with 10 relievers on a three-hitter in a show of pitching dominance that led the American League to a 4-0 win over the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game.

All-Star most valuable player Cody Bellinger hit a two-run single and Ben Rice followed with an RBI single in the first against Cristopher Sánchez of the host Philadelphia Phillies.

Miguel Vargas of the Chicago White Sox added an eighth-inning home run off the Dodgers’ Justin Wrobleski, who was pitching on his 26th birthday, for the game’s only extra-base hit. Wrobleski struck out five in two innings.

The AL won for the 18th time in 23 games and holds a 49-45-2 advantage overall.

Singles by Juan Soto in the fourth, Pete Crow-Armstrong in the eighth and Otto Lopez in the ninth were the only hits by the NL, which failed to advance a runner past first.

Pitchers combined for 27 strikeouts, 15 by AL hurlers.

Cease struck out Kyle Schwarber, Soto and CJ Abrams around a walk in the first inning. He became just the seventh pitcher to strike out three in an All-Star opening inning after Carl Hubbell (1934), Warren Spahn (1949), Jim Palmer (1977), Dave Stieb (1983), Pedro Martinez (1999) and Brad Penny (2006) — four of them Hall of Famers.

Chicago White Sox’s Miguel Vargas is greeted by Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle after homering.

(Matt Rourke / AP)

Parker Messick, Michael Wacha, Joe Ryan, Nick Martinez, Cade Smith, Drew Rasmussen, Jacob Latz, Louis Varland, Aroldis Chapman and Bryan Baker finished the first All-Star shutout since the AL’s 2-0 win in 2013 at New York’s Citi Field.

Some starting star power was missing, with Jacob Misoriowski, Paul Skenes and Shohei Ohtani all unavailable. Just six pitches reached 100 mph, the fewest in an All-Star Game since 2021.

Bellinger and Rice singled on up sinkers from Sánchez, who struggled through a 34-pitch inning that included three hits and two walks.

“It just took me a little time to soak it all in and enjoy it,” Sánchez said through an interpreter.

Some of the festivities before Tuesday’s All-Star game.

(Matt Rourke / AP)

Mike Trout, a 12-time All-Star who hadn’t played in the game since 2019 because of injuries and was the Angels’ only representative, went 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

For the Dodgers, Max Muncy and Andy Pages each went 0 for 2, Freddie Freeman went 0 for 1 with a walk, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto did not pitch.

Early exit

Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero was hit on the outside of his left hand by a 97.6-mph sinker from St. Louis closer Riley O’Brien in the third inning and immediately left the game. The 23-year-old, fourth in the major leagues with 28 home runs, stayed down for a few moments before he popped up and ran straight into the clubhouse. X-rays were negative.

Documenting the day

Managers and starters entered through replica Liberty Bells in front of each dugout, walked to home plate and used a feathered quill to sign an oversized lineup card, as if they were Founding Fathers affixing names to the Declaration of Independence. The dirt was surrounded by 13 stars, one for each of the Colonies.

Mike Trout of the Angels and AL manager John Schneider of Toronto embrace after coming out of a faux Liberty Bell.

(Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)

Fireworks were set off after the fourth inning to a video of Ray Charles singing “America the Beautiful” at Game 2 of the 2001 World Series.

Philadelphia was awarded this year’s All-Star Game in 2019, an unusually long lead time to coincide with the U.S. 250th anniversary. The Phillies hosted the 1976 and ’96 games at Veterans Stadium and the Athletics in 1943 and ’52 at Shibe Park.

Next year’s game is scheduled for the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field for the first time since 1990.

A HISTORIC UK castle is set to be transformed into a major visitor attraction.

The Grade II-listed building is undergoing significant work to revitalise the site.

Haverfordwest Castle, in Pembrokeshire, will soon become a “flagship” tourist destination as the medieval fortress undergoes a multi-million renovation.

The 2,000-year-old castle, which dates back to as early as 1120, has already received a full replacement of its two-level roof structure and the building’s core foundations have now been stabilised.

The £15million redevelopment will also include a new café, a shop with a range of hand-crafted and local products, free-to-access grounds, community spaces and an outdoor events area with 500-seat capacity.

Once reopened, the site will also be capable of hosting an open-air theatre, crafts fairs and Christmas markets.

GO GREEK

Super cheap Greek island holidays – with an entire week away from £185pp

STROKE OF GENIUS

UK’s 20 BEST lidos revealed – from tidal swimming pools to open quarries

The gaol building will also be transformed into a family-friendly visitor attraction detailing the story of Pembrokeshire’s past, and the existing museum exhibition will be modernised.

Other important works currently underway include strengthening and repairing the castle’s original walls, landscaping the area, making accessible footpaths and removing any non-protected debris.

The renovation is set to be completed by next summer, with the castle fully reopening in 2028.

Pembrokshire county councillor, Thomas Tudor, said: “Haverfordwest Castle is without doubt the jewel in the crown for the County Town of Pembrokeshire, and I am so pleased that the redevelopment of the castle is gaining momentum. 

“It’s brilliant news that Morgan Sindall Construction has reached a key milestone in the £15m project to rejuvenate Haverfordwest Castle with the new roof now in place. The future is looking very positive for Haverfordwest, which can be enjoyed by tourists and residents alike.”

Haverfordwest Castle was established during Norman times – with the main structure largely built by 1290 – as an English military stronghold to assert control over Wales.

An estimated 40,000 annual visitors are projected to visit the site once works are completed.

Mikel Oyarzabal’s brace allows the European champions to dominate Austria and move on to the round of 16.

Spain coasted past Austria and into the FIFA World Cup last 16 on Thursday, thoroughly outclassing their opponents in a 3-0 knockout win, with a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header.

The European champions controlled possession and sliced through the Austrian defence in a typically dominant performance in Los Angeles, as Hollywood stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem and singer Rosalia cheered on.

The win, which could have been by a greater margin – with a disallowed goal and a free kick off the woodwork – sets up a tantalising round-of-16 clash with either Portugal or Croatia.

“I’m happy to help the team and get through to the next round. Now we need to rest,” said Oyarzabal directly after full-time.

“They were a physical side and difficult to play against, but we played a good match. We’re happy to qualify,” he added.

As to whether he would prefer Portugal or Croatia in Monday’s last-16 match-up, Oyarzabal remarked: “It doesn’t matter who we face in the next round; I have friends in both teams.”

Oyarzabal sets the tone

Los Angeles Stadium was a sea of red and excitement over the first visit by a bona fide World Cup favourite to the US’s second city.

Spain ratcheted up the pressure gradually through the first half, creating a string of chances after the first hydration break.

Marc Cucurella thought he had scored from a Lamine Yamal corner, but Pau Cubarsi was judged to have encroached on Austria’s goalkeeper.

Alexander Schlager then made a superb diving save, pushing Oyarzabal’s low shot around the post.

Austria’s defence finally buckled in the 36th minute. Pedri pinged a ball wide, left to Cucurella, whose cross to Oyarzabal was calmly side-footed past the goalkeeper.

Spain’s dominance grew further, with Yamal tormenting the Austrians, mainly from the right flank.

An Alex Baena free kick hit the crossbar, and Yamal’s close-range follow-up shot was well saved.

Austria spurned a rare chance at the other end. Romano Schmid played in a late-arriving and unmarked Stefan Posch, but a terrible first touch meant he lost the ball before even attempting a shot.

‘Ole’

After the break, Spain continued knocking on the door without quite putting the game to rest.

Austria sent on two giant strikers, Sasa Kalajdzic and Marko Arnautovic, and immediately went long, with Kalajdzic putting a header over the bar.

But in the 66th minute, Spain struck again. Baena lifted a cross onto the head of Pedro Porro, who nodded in his first goal for Spain.

Some dogged defending kept the scoreline respectable, including a goal-line clearance by David Alaba from Yamal, who was substituted off to rest moments later.

Spain sprayed passes around the pitch as the final minutes ticked down, eliciting “Oles” from the crowd, as attention turned to a sterner test on Monday in Dallas.

In the 89th minute, a pinpoint Cucurella cross found a completely unmarked Oyarzabal in the penalty area, who slotted the ball home to seal the victory in style.