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ATLANTA — AJ Smith-Shawver was rolling right along when he realized his Atlanta Braves teammates were beginning to avoid him.

They had a good reason. The 22-year-old rookie right-hander hadn’t given up a hit against the Cincinnati Reds — and the rest of the Braves didn’t want to jinx him.

After pitching into the eighth inning for the first time as a professional, Smith-Shawver wasn’t quite able to complete a no-hitter Monday night in his 11th major league start since being drafted in 2021. But the only hit he gave up in a 4-0 win was Santiago Espinal‘s sharp single to center field leading off the eighth.

“I probably started like really kind of noticing in the fifth, and everybody really got away from me sixth and seventh. And I was like, OK, this is real,” Smith-Shawver said. “Just trying to go out there and execute pitches, just do the same thing I’ve been doing, but just with a little bit more adrenaline.”

Braves fans gave Smith-Shawver a nice ovation after he gave up the hit, and another when he walked off the field after inducing a double play to end the eighth on his 99th and final pitch. There were also the congratulations and hugs from his teammates in the dugout — all with a big smile on his face.

“It means everything. Whenever the guys in the clubhouse are believing in you and they want you to take the ball and go win games, I feel like, as a pitcher, that’s your ultimate goal,” he said. “You want those guys to trust you and know what they’re going to get out of you every night.”

Enyel De Los Santos issued a walk in the ninth before finishing a one-hitter for Atlanta’s second shutout of the season.

Smith-Shawver (2-2), who was trying for the first no-hitter in the majors this season, struck out five and walked four. He was a high school teammate of Kansas City star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. — they won a state championship together at Colleyville-Heritage High School in Texas in 2019, when Smith-Shawver was a sophomore and Witt was a senior before becoming the No. 2 pick in that summer’s MLB draft.

It was Smith-Shawver’s fifth start for Atlanta this season, the second since being recalled from the minor leagues, and it came six days after he won at Colorado. He pitched 5⅓ innings against the Rockies before leaving that game after taking a liner off his right arm.

The Braves haven’t had a no-hitter since Kent Mercker pitched one at Dodger Stadium on April 8, 1994. They haven’t had one at home since Sept. 11, 1991, when Mercker threw the first six innings in a combined no-hitter with Mark Wohlers (two innings) and Alejandro Peña (one inning) in a 1-0 win against the Padres.

Braves shortstop Nick Allen made a nifty play on a hard-hit grounder with one out in the third to keep the latest no-hit bid intact for a while.

“All you want as a defender is just to make plays for him, when you kind of look up at the board and you’re seeing what you’re seeing, no hits or something like that,” Allen said. “You want to get everything, dive for anything. Unfortunately, they got the one in the eighth. But he threw it so well today, and with conviction. And that’s all you can ask for. And when he does that, I mean, look what happens.”

Smith-Shawver walked two batters in the first before striking out Spencer Steer to end the inning. He also issued two walks with two outs in the fourth, then retired the next 10 batters before Espinal’s hit.

“I feel like I used my heater pretty well today. I feel like I had good results on it all day. And then it was curveball-split,” Smith-Shawver said. “It was really just kind of leaning on that (fastball) and getting myself into good counts and getting myself out of bad counts. But I thought everything was kind of working today.”

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Hard-throwing rookie Misiorowski going to ASG

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Hard-throwing rookie Misiorowski going to ASG

Hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski is a National League All-Star replacement, giving the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander a chance to break Paul Skenes‘ record for the fewest big league appearances before playing in the Midsummer Classic.

Misiorowski was named Friday night to replace Chicago Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, who will be unavailable for the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Atlanta because he is scheduled to start Saturday at the New York Yankees.

The 23-year-old Misiorowski has made just five starts for the Brewers, going 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA while averaging 99.3 mph on his fastball, with 89 pitches that have reached 100 mph.

If he pitches at Truist Park, Misiorowski will make it consecutive years for a player to set the mark for fewest big league games before an All-Star showing.

Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander getting ready for his second All-Star appearance, had made 11 starts in the majors when he was chosen as the NL starter for last year’s All-Star Game at Texas. He pitched a scoreless inning.

“I’m speechless,” said a teary-eyed Misiorowski, who said he was given the news a few minutes before the Brewers’ 8-3 victory over Washington. “It’s awesome. It’s very unexpected and it’s an honor.”

Misiorowski is the 30th first-time All-Star and 16th replacement this year. There are now 80 total All-Stars.

“He’s impressive. He’s got some of the best stuff in the game right now, even though he’s a young pitcher,” said Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is a starting AL outfielder for his seventh All-Star nod. “He’s going to be a special pitcher in this game for a long time so I think he deserved it and it’s going be pretty cool for him and his family.”

Carlos Rodón, Carlos Estévez and Casey Mize were named replacement pitchers on the AL roster.

The New York Yankees‘ Rodón, an All-Star for the third time in five seasons, will replace teammate Max Fried for Tuesday’s game in Atlanta. Fried will be unavailable because he is scheduled to start Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.

In his final start before the All-Star game, Rodón allowed four hits and struck out eight in eight innings in an 11-0 victory over the Cubs.

“This one’s a little special for me,” said Rodón, an All-Star in 2021 and ’22 who was 3-8 in his first season with the Yankees two years ago before rebounding. “I wasn’t good when I first got here, and I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t to going to give up and just put my best foot forward and try to win as many games as I can.”

The Kansas City Royals‘ Estévez replaces Texas’ Jacob deGrom, who is scheduled to start at Houston on Saturday night. Estévez was a 2023 All-Star when he was with the Los Angeles Angels.

Mize takes the spot held by Boston‘s Garrett Crochet, who is scheduled to start Saturday against Tampa Bay. Mize gives the Tigers six All-Stars, most of any team and tied for the franchise record.

Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will replace Tampa Bay‘s Brandon Lowe, who went on the injured list with left oblique tightness. The additions of Estévez and Garcia give the Royals four All-Stars, matching their 2024 total.

The Seattle Mariners announced center fielder Julio Rodríguez will not participate, and he was replaced by teammate Randy Arozarena. Rodríguez had been voted onto the AL roster via the players’ ballot. The Mariners, who have five All-Stars, said Rodríguez will use the break to “recuperate, rest and prepare for the second half.”

Arozarena is an All-Star for the second time. He started in left field for the AL two years ago, when he was with Tampa Bay. Arozarena was the runner-up to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the 2023 Home Run Derby.

Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, a first-time All-Star, is replacing Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is scheduled to start Saturday night at Arizona. Rasmussen is 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 18 starts.

San Diego added a third NL All-Star reliever in lefty Adrián Morejón, who replaces Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler. The Phillies’ right-hander is scheduled to start at San Diego on Saturday night. Morejón entered the weekend with a 1.71 ERA in 45 appearances.

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Twins SS Correa helped off with sprained ankle

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Twins SS Correa helped off with sprained ankle

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa had to be helped off the field after injuring his right ankle when Pittsburgh‘s Tommy Pham slid into him at second base.

Pham was trying to get to second on his liner off the wall in right field in the seventh inning of the Twins’ 2-1 victory Friday night. Right fielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr.’s throw beat Pham, whose batting helmet made contact with Correa’s lower leg.

Correa rolled over and stayed on the ground before leaving the game. Brooks Lee moved from second base to shortstop to replace Correa. The team said Correa had a mild ankle sprain.

Correa said X-rays were negative and that he expects to sit out Saturday’s game, adding that he “hopefully” can play on Sunday, according to MLB.com.

The 30-year-old Correa is already in his 11th big league season and has been a mainstay at shortstop for the Twins since signing as a free agent in 2022. He missed about half of last season with a concussion and a plantar fascia injury, the latter of which kept him from playing in the All-Star Game after he was chosen for the third time.

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Acuña replaced in HR Derby by teammate Olson

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Acuña replaced in HR Derby by teammate Olson

ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. won’t participate in the Home Run Derby, replaced Friday by Atlanta teammate and fellow All-Star Matt Olson.

Acuña is a starting outfielder for the National League and still is expected to play in the All-Star Game on his home field. Olson is a reserve infielder.

Instead of Acuña, Olson will try to become the first Atlanta player to win the Home Run Derby on Monday night. He could become the fourth to win at home. The All-Star Game is Tuesday night.

Olson competed in the 2021 Derby while with the Athletics. He was eliminated in the first round. The 31-year-old entered the weekend with 17 homers this season.

The other scheduled participants are Brent Rooker, the first for the Athletics since Olson, along with Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Yankees, Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and James Wood of Washington.

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