Hometown favourite Rodriguez hits Derby record 41 HRs in first round

SEATTLE (AP) — Mariners star Julio Rodríguez hit a record 41 homers in the first round before his hometown fans, advancing to the semifinals of the All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday night along with Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena, Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Luis Robert of the Chicago White Sox.

At 22 trying to become the youngest Derby winner, Rodríguez knocked out two-time champion Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, who hit 21. Rodríguez beat Corey Seager 32-24 in the first round last year at Dodger Stadium, then knocked out Alonso 31-23 before losing to Juan Soto 19-18 in the final.

Arozarena beat Texas’ Adolis García 24-17 in the opening pairing at T-Mobile Park. García is the godfather to Arozarena’s daughter, and the two jumped into each other’s arms during warmups.

Robert knocked out Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman 28-27 and the longest home run of the round, a 470-foot drive to center. Rutschman hit 21 left-handed, and the switch-hitter then turned around to the right side and hit six more right-handed during a 30-second bonus round. From Portland, Oregon, Rutschman grew up attending Mariners games.

Guerrero, back for the first time in four years, defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts 26-11. Four years ago at Cleveland, Guerrero hit 29 in the first round and 40 in the second, then lost to Alonso 23-22 in the final. His father, Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, won the 2007 derby in San Francisco.

Alonso was trying for his third title in four years. Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr. is the only three-time winner, taking the title in 1994, ’98 and ‘99.

Only three players have won the title at home: the Chicago Cubs’ Ryne Sandberg in 1990, Cincinnati’s Todd Frazier in 2015 and Washington’s Bryce Harper in 2018.

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