PHOENIX – The Yankees’ Austin Romine singled home the go-ahead run against Kansas City’s Kelvin Herrera in a three-run eighth inning, leading the U.S. over the World team 6-4 Sunday in the All-Star Futures game.
Cleveland’s Jason Kipnis homered leading off the first as the U.S. built a 3-0 lead.
Oakland’s Grant Green was selected MVP after starting the go-ahead rally in the eighth with his second double of the game.
Chattanooga Lookouts outfielder Alfredo Silverio from the Los Angeles Dodgers organization hit a long two-run homer to left off Cleveland’s Drew Pomeranz in a four-run sixth inning, and Philadelphia’s Sebastian Valle tied the score with an RBI double down the left-field line. Texas’ Jurickson Profar, an 18-year-old switch-hitting shortstop who played for Curacao in the 2004 and 2005 Little League World Series, then tripled in front of the right-center swimming pool on the first pitch from Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson for a 4-3 lead.
Green started the eighth-inning rally against Herrera with a double, Tampa Bay’s Tim Beckham doubled him home to tie it and two outs later Romine singled to left. Romine, who went 2-for-2, is at Double-A Trenton behind Jesus Montero, another top Yankees’ prospect who is at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Colorado’s Nolan Arenado chased Herrera, the loser, with a double down the right-field line.
Philadelphia’s Jarred Cosart struck out two in the eighth for the win. The Mets’ Matt Harvey got the final out for save.
Mike Piazza managed the U.S. to its seventh win in 13 Futures games. Luis Gonzalez, whose ninth-inning single off the Yankees’ Mariano Rivera won Game 7 of the 2001 World Series on this field, managed the World team.
Bryce Harper, the top pick in last year’s amateur draft, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and two groundouts. He took a called third strike on a fastball in the first, grounded out in the third and sixth innings, then fanned in the eighth with the potential go-ahead run on second.
St. Louis right-hander Carlos Martinez impressed with a 96-98 mph fastball in a scoreless fourth.