By CHARLES ODUM
ATLANTA (AP) — Josue De Paula hit a three-run homer in a four-run fourth inning and the National League beat the American League 4-2 on Saturday in the All-Star Futures Game featuring top prospects.
The National League is 4-1-1 since the Futures Game moved from a U.S. vs. World format to AL vs. NL in 2019.
Noah Schultz, a left-hander in the Chicago White Sox’s organization, gave up four hits and four runs, including the line-drive homer by De Paula that traveled 416 feet to right-center. De Paula, an outfielder, plays for Class A Great Lakes in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ organization.
De Paula, selected the game’s Most Valuable Player, said the homer is “definitely a motivator” in his path to the major leagues.
“For me mentally, a big moment,” De Paula said. “It proved to me, especially to myself, who I really am.”
Schultz then gave up a single to LuJames Groover, who scored on Owen Caissie’s double to left field.
New York Yankees infield prospect George Lombard Jr., the son of Detroit Tigers bench coach George Lombard, walked, stole second base and scored on Braden Montgomery’s groundout in the third to give the AL a 1-0 lead. Lombard also had a double.
Josue Briceño, a Double-A catcher for Detroit, tripled and scored on Sebastian Walcott’s sacrifice fly in the fourth to push the lead to 2-0.
The Giants’ Carson Whisenhunt and Trent Harris, both Triple-A pitchers for Sacramento, had scoreless appearances. Harris pitched a scoreless fifth inning with two strikeouts. Whisenhunt, the Giants’ No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, pitched 2/3 innings with a strikeout in the seventh inning.
Chill bumps for Chipper
Two former Atlanta stars, Chipper Jones and Marquis Grissom, were the managers for the NL and AL, respectively.
Jones was an eight-time All-Star third baseman who spent his entire career with Atlanta before becoming a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 2018.
Jones and Grissom were teammates on Atlanta’s 1995 World Series championship team. Grissom caught a fly ball in center field for the clinching final out in the win over Cleveland.
“You can’t measure my chill bumps right now with a yard stick,” Jones said when asked about the memory of watching Grissom “just glide to it and knowing that he’s got a bead on it and this puppy’s over, it was like it was happening in slow motion.”
For starters
Right-hander JR Ritchie, am Atlanta prospect who has pitched for High-A Rome and Double-A Columbus this season, because the 10th pitcher to start a Futures Game in his organization’s home park. Ritchie had two strikeouts in a scoreless first inning.
Ritchie said he received a phone call from Jones telling him he would start.
“It was unbelievable,” Ritchie said. “I never thought Chipper Jones would call me.”
Left-hander Parker Messick, who is with Cleveland’s Triple-A Columbus, had a scoreless first inning for the AL.
Father and son
Grissom’s son, Marquis Grissom Jr., a right-hander for the Washington Nationals’ Triple-A Rochester, gave up one run in one inning for the NL while his father was in the opposing dugout. He said he was looking forward to bragging about the win to his father.
“He lost!” Grissom Jr. said. “He took the L so he better be ready when I get home!”
“I’m just happy to be a part of this, and get a chance to see my son, all the work he’s put in to be a part of this and excel his baseball career,” the elder Grissom said, adding the chance “to be around the future stars of the game, it doesn’t really get any better than that for me.”
Switch-pitcher skills
Seattle minor leaguer Jurrangelo Cijntje showed off his switch-pitching skills in his scoreless second inning for the AL. He recorded a strikeout against Jesús Made while pitching from the right side, when threw from the left side while coaxing a fly ball from De Paula before giving up a single to LuJames Groover, again from the right side and then switching yet again to strike out Joe Mack and end the inning.