CINCINNATI — Madison Bumgarner admitted he had a Game 7 flashback.
He gazed in at catcher Buster Posey, and there was Salvador Perez in the batter’s box, the same Salvador Perez who popped to Pablo Sandoval for the final out of last year’s World Series.
The stakes weren’t as high Tuesday night, of course, but the All-Star Game is still the national stage, so the eeriness was easy to digest. This time, Bumgarner struck out Perez, but strike three was a wild pitch, and Perez reached safely.
It was a footnote in the American League’s 6-3 victory over the National League, but for those who closely followed the Giants’ and Royals’ journey to Game 7, it was a reminder of how one team won a title by the narrowest of margins.