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Boston Red Sox top-10 MLB All-Star Game performances

By Sean Penney

BOSTON, MA - MAY 1: Chris Sale #41 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Fenway Park on May 1, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 1: Chris Sale #41 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Fenway Park on May 1, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK – JULY 1: Pitcher Pedro Martinez #45 of the Boston Red Sox delivers against the New York Yankees during the game at Yankee Stadium on July 1, 2004 in the Bronx, New York. The Yankees won 5-4. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – JULY 1: Pitcher Pedro Martinez #45 of the Boston Red Sox delivers against the New York Yankees during the game at Yankee Stadium on July 1, 2004 in the Bronx, New York. The Yankees won 5-4. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Pedro Martinez – 1999

The 1999 All-Star Game was memorable to Red Sox fans for many reasons. The event was held at Fenway Park. Nominees for the All-Century team were honored prior to the game, including Ted Williams. Watching the wheelchair-bound icon greeting players on the field was a special moment.

Pedro Martinez capped it off in front of the home crowd with the most dominant performance by a pitcher in an All-Star Game.

The right-hander tossed two innings, facing the minimum six batters and striking out five of them.

Pedro struck out the side in the first. Barry Larkin went down swinging, Larry Walker was caught looking, then Sammy Sosa failed to catch up to a fastball up and in. That made Martinez the first pitcher ever to strike out the first three batters of an All-Star Game.

Make that the first four hitters. Pedro got Mark McGwire to chase strike three to lead off the second inning.

The lone base runner that Martinez allowed was when Matt Williams reached on an error on a groundball to second baseman Roberto Alomar. The error would do no harm. Pedro struck out Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez gunned down Williams trying to take second base. The double-play ended the inning and sealed Pedro’s near flawless performance.

The AL would go on to win 4-1. Martinez earned the win and was named MVP. No other Red Sox player has won an All-Star MVP since.

Next: Chris Sale earns third consecutive All-Star start

Pedro’s performance was about as dominant as it gets. Throw in the Fenway environment and the pre-game festivities featuring Teddy Ballgame and the ’99 All-Star Game stands out as the most memorable for Red Sox fans in history.

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