CLEVELAND (AP) - Indians catcher Yan Gomes walked to the plate Saturday night and found out he was an All-Star.
Gomes will replace Tampa Bay’s Wilson Ramos in Tuesday’s game in Washington D.C., giving Cleveland six All-Stars.
Gomes said he wrestled with emotions when he came up in the ninth to face New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman and saw on the giant scoreboard in left field that he had made the AL squad. Gomes struck out but described it as “the happiest strikeout.” New York beat Cleveland 5-4.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been that emotional in an at-bat before,” he said. “I’m not going to lie, it was kind of hard to get back in the box. I tried to focus in there, but it didn’t quite work out.”
The 30-year-old said in the eighth inning manager Terry Francona told him he would have a special at-bat, but Gomes didn’t know what he meant.
Gomes is batting .247 with 10 homers and 31 RBIs.
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