ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Corbin Burnes planned to break away from his newborn twin daughters and show up at the All-Star Game regardless of whether he was the starting pitcher for the American League.
In a Midsummer Classic filled with replacements and first-time All-Stars, the Baltimore right-hander was the last to arrive. Burnes, an All-Star for the fourth consecutive year, flew to Texas the morning of the game after spending about 36 hours at home in Arizona.
“I tried to maximize as much time at home with them as I can,” Burnes said. “Be a dad for a little bit. Change some diapers. Give the girls a bottle. Some of the things that you don’t realize you miss when you’re away from it.”
The trip was worth it, despite a bit of a two-out jam that Burnes escaped by getting William Contreras to ground out with runners at second and third. Bryce Harper had doubled behind a walk to Shohei Ohtani.
Burnes was the first All-Star starter for the Orioles since Steve Stone in 1980, and the fifth overall. He matched up against Pittsburgh phenom Paul Skenes, who also had a scoreless first inning.
Contreras hit a comebacker to Burnes, who flipped to first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and hugged his former catcher in Milwaukee as they came together along the first-base line. The Brewers traded their 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner to the Orioles just before spring training.
“I wish I wouldn’t have walked Shohei, but it was fun,” Burnes said. “There’s really no words to express — just the atmosphere, playing around the best players in the game. I told them, ‘Be ready. I’m going to let them put it in play.’ They were ready out there and fortunately I got out with a scoreless inning.”
Twins Charlotte and Harper were born in late June, when Burnes went on paternity leave a day after throwing seven innings in an 11-2 win over Texas.
The 29-year-old Burnes made two more starts before the All-Star break, flying home from Baltimore on Sunday night after a series against the New York Yankees.
AL manager Bruce Bochy of the Rangers had an empty seat next to him when he finally revealed Burnes as his starter on Monday.
Minutes after finishing his scoreless inning, Burnes addressed reporters and was planning to hop on another flight about 12 hours into his Texas trip. To boot, he’s coming back for the start of a three-game series against the Rangers on Friday.
Burnes, who is 9-4 with a 2.43 ERA in his first season in Baltimore after spending his first six big league seasons in Milwaukee, said it was never much of a consideration to be the 10th player replaced this year.
“My wife always says you never know when it’s going to be your last, so you don’t want this one to be your last and not be able to attend,” Burnes said. “So from the get-go she told me, ‘You’re going, you’re going, you’re going.’ It was more of me saying, ‘Fine, y’all, I’ll go.’”
Burnes knew he wouldn’t be gone long.
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