Big Island baseball product Kolten Wong sat on the bench for the first four innings of Sunday’s SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, something he’s not accustomed to doing on a daily basis at Memphis.
The game’s best young prospects converged on Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, to take part in one of the kickoff events to Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, held Tuesday. USA defeated the World squad 4-2 to continue their dominance of the exhibition contest.
The St. Louis Cardinals farmhand didn’t waste time making plays as soon as Team USA manager Mookie Wilson called his number. Wong replaced Houston Astros minor-leaguer DeLino DeShields in the top half of the fifth inning and ended the frame by turning a 4-6-3 double play off of the bat of Arismendy Alcantara.
In the bottom half of the inning, Wong lined a single into center field on the first pitch he saw to reach base in his first at-bat. Several pitches later, he stole second base as World team second baseman Alcantara couldn’t handle the throw over from catcher A.J. Jimenez. He was stranded in scoring position to end the inning.
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Wong’s leather work continued in the sixth inning. With a runner at first base, Wong turned a ground ball from Henry Urrutia into another 4-6-3 inning ending double play to keep the USA lead at 3-2.
In the seventh, Wong was on a different side of the inning-ending twin killing. Wong made the throw to first base on the 6-4-3 double play started by Arizona Diamondbacks minor-leaguer Chris Owings to end any threat from the World squad.
The next at-bat for the Kamehameha-Hawai`i graduate came in the bottom of the seventh inning. He took a high and tight fastball out to right field, where it was caught by Urrutia to end the inning.
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Wong, who wore number 50 in the exhibition contest, was a little busier in the field in the eighth inning. He caught a soft liner Christian Bethancourt in shallow right field for the first out and got the final out on a similar, yet shorter line drive by Dilson Herrera.
Team USA took a 4-2 lead into the top of the ninth inning but ran into trouble with the tying run at first base. Pitcher A.J. Cole settled the ship, inducing a ground ball out by Jesus Galindo to Wong at second base, ending the ballgame.
Wong finished the game batting 1-for-2 with a stolen base and three double plays turned.
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