2015 Futures Game

The 2015 Futures Game was played on July 12th at Great American Ball Park, site of the 2015 All-Star Game, in front of 43,661 fans. For the sixth straight year, the United States team emerged on top, winning 10-1 over the World team after blowing the game open in the middle innings. U.S. catcher Kyle Schwarber, one of only two players in the game with major league experience, was named the winner of the Larry Doby Award as the game's Most Valuable Player.

Lucas Giolito was given the starting assignment for the United States team and got things off on the right foot, pitching two scoreless innings in the longest mound stint by anyone in the game. For the World team Jose Berrios was named to start for the second straight year and also got off a clean 1st inning. He did walk the lead-off hitter, 2B Tony Kemp, but picked him off first base immediately. He was succeeded by Jarlin Garcia who pitched a clean 2nd inning. The scoring started in the 3rd.

The World team got on the scoreboard first as LF Raimel Tapia singled off Amir Garrett; he advanced to second on a passed ball by Schwarber then scored when 2B Ketel Marte singled. SS Ozzie Albies followed with a single and Marte tried to score from second base, but was nailed at the plate by LF Michael Conforto. Although it was unearned, Garrett ended up being the only U.S. pitcher to give up a run, but he became the winning pitcher when the U.S. replied with 3 runs in the bottom of the inning. They tied the game on a single by Conforto, a walk by Kemp and an RBI single by SS J.P. Crawford, then Schwarber followed with a triple to right field off Garcia that made it 3-1 for the United States, a lead that would hold for the rest of the game.

Edwin Diaz succeeded Garcia on the mound after Schwarber's big hit and got out of the 3rd with no further damage, but in the 4th, with DH Aaron Judge on base, 1B Josh Bell hit a homer off him that made it 5-1. The United States then put the game completely out of reach in the 6th, when they added 5 more runs. LF Nick Williams hit an RBI single that drove in RF Kyle Waldrop; CF Brandon Nimmo hit another single that drove in 1B Matt Olson; then 2B Trevor Story and SS Trea Turner followed with back to back doubles. The first two runs were charged to Keury Mella and the last three to Frankie Montas.

There was no scoring the rest of the way as four consecutive U.S, pitchers - Tyler Beede, Mark Appel, Blake Snell and Sean Newcomb - all pitched a scoreless frame between the 4th and 7th innings, giving up a total of two hits among them. Three relievers then got two outs each to end the game, with Colin Rea the last of these. Contrary to previous years, it was not a strikeout festival, as U.S. pitchers only racked up 5 Ks. On the other hand, the World team pitcher struck out 10 opponents, with Jairo Labourt getting two in one inning and Juan Gonzalez striking out both men he faced. Marte, Tapia and DH Nomar Mazara all had two hits for the World team, while Turner and Conforto did so for the U.S.

Two former Cincinnati Reds players managed the squads, Ken Griffey Sr. doing so for the U.S. team and Hall of Fame first baseman Tony Perez getting the honor for the World team.

Rosters

USA

• P: Mark Appel, Tyler Beede, Zach Davies, Carl Edwards, Amir Garrett, Lucas Giolito, Sean Newcomb, Aaron Nola, Colin Rea, Blake Snell
• C: Kyle Farmer, Kyle Schwarber
• IF: Josh Bell, J.P. Crawford, Tony Kemp, Matt Olson, Richie Shaffer, Trevor Story, Trea Turner
• OF: Michael Conforto, Aaron Judge, Brandon Nimmo, Kyle Waldrop, Nick Williams, Bradley Zimmer

World

• P: Jose Berrios, Edwin Diaz, Jarlin Garcia, Juan Gonzalez, Wei-Chieh Huang, Joe Jimenez, Jairo Labourt, Keury Mella, Frankie Montas, Luis Perdomo
• C: Elias Diaz, Gary Sanchez
• IF: Ozhaino Albies, Orlando Arcia, Cheslor Cuthbert, Rafael Devers, Balbino Fuenmayor, Ketel Marte, Raul Adalberto Mondesi, Renato Nunez
• OF: Socrates Brito, Manuel Margot, Nomar Mazara, Yorman Rodriguez, Raimel Tapia

Further Reading

• Jonathan Mayo: "Futures teams loaded with Top 100 Prospects", mlb.com, June 25, 2015. [1]

Related Sites

• Game story from mlb.com