St Louis Cardinals’ Jordan Walker beats Kyle Schwarber to win Home Run Derby
St Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker has become the first player in franchise history to win the Home Run Derby after defeating Kyle Schwarber in Philadelphia.
The 24-year-old homered on his final five swings to secure an upset victory over the hometown favourite.
Schwarber, the current Major League Baseball home run leader, had previously electrified the crowd by hitting 11 homers during a 15-swing turn in the final round.
Silencing the Philadelphia crowd
The partisan audience heavily backed their local hero while directing boos toward the rest of the competition throughout the evening.
Wearing a backwards cap in tribute to Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr, the St Louis star remained completely unfazed by the hostile reception.
He required four consecutive home runs in the closing moments to claim the prestigious title during the All-Star Game festivities.
A dramatic path to victory
The right-handed batter initiated his remarkable finishing streak by knocking a 401-foot shot off the top of the centre-field fence.
His decisive winning strike soared over the left-field wall, prompting the disappointed Philadelphia crowd to quietly head toward the stadium exits.
To reach the showpiece final, the newly crowned champion successfully navigated past Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero in the earlier knockout stages.
Meanwhile, the defeated finalist had advanced by overcoming Boston hitter Willson Contreras in a tense head-to-head second-round matchup.