Bieber, late addition to All-Star roster, wins MVP
In a 4-3 American League All-Star Game victory with no clear MVP on Tuesday, hometown favorite Shane Bieber, a right-handed starter for the Cleveland Indians, earned the honors after striking out the side in the fifth inning amid a Progressive Field-wide chant of his name.
The 24-year-old Bieber, once a walk-on at UC-Santa Barbara, caught Cubs catcher Willson Contreras looking on a 95 mph fastball, punched out Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte on an 84 mph curveball and froze Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. on an 86 mph slider.
Bieber is the third player in All-Star Game history to win the MVP award in his home ballpark, joining Pedro Martinez at Fenway Park in 1999 and Sandy Alomar Jr. also in Cleveland in 1997.wholesale nfl jerseys cheap
During the seven-pitch at-bat against Acuna, the crowd of 36,747 chanted, "Let's go, Bieber!" and he responded with a strikeout that prompted Indians manager Terry Francona to clap his hands excitedly. The victory extended the AL's All-Star Game winning streak to seven games.
"I really didn't know what to think," Bieber said of winning MVP. "Kinda lost all feeling in my body. But it's an incredible feeling now. Now that it's kind of sinking in, just to be able to do it in front of the hometown crowd in my first All-Star Game is definitely not something I expected."
Bieber wasn't named to the All-Star team until Friday, when he replaced Rangers starter Mike Minor, who wasn't eligible to play because he pitched Sunday.cheap nfl jerseys wholesale
Bieber is the first pitcher to win All-Star Game MVP since Mariano Rivera in 2013 and is just the fifth pitcher to do so in the past 40 years, joining Martinez, Roger Clemens (1986) and LaMarr Hoyt (1985). Only Bieber, Rivera and Juan Marichal (1965) have taken home MVP honors without earning a win.
Bieber -- no relation to Justin Bieber, for those wondering -- beat AL teammates Michael Brantley and Joey Gallo for the honors by preserving a 1-0 lead against the final three hitters in the National League's stout lineup. Brantley staked the AL to the advantage in the stadium where he spent the first 10 years of his career with a second-inning RBI double off Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw that scored Astros teammate Alex Bregman.
The 32-year-old Brantley, who joined Houston as a free agent this winter, sliced a 91 mph fastball from Kershaw into the left-center-field gap to open the scoring and hand Bieber the one-run lead he held.
"He is a phenomenal pitcher," Brantley said. "He is gaining experience and getting better and better every time he goes out. He competes at a high level. I am so proud of him. I can't wait to see him and tell him congratulations again. That was fun to watch."
