Guerrero wins Home Run Derby
July 9th, 2007
San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Vladimir Guerrero needed to hit just three homers in the final to defeat Alex Rios for the 2007 Home Run Derby title Monday night at AT&T Park.
Guerrero, of the Angels, ended with a total of 17 homers, including nine in the second round, to take the title for the first time in his career. He is the first Angel to win the contest since Garret Anderson in 2003 when the All- Star Game was held at U.S. Cellular Field in the south side of Chicago.
Guerrero might not have won the title if not for some assistance from a fellow AL All-Star. After missing on his first three attempts in the first round, Boston's David Ortiz stopped the festivities to present a new bat from a wooden case. His first attempt after that went for his fourth out, but he ended with five, including a first-round long 463-footer, to advance to the second round.
Guerrero continued to use the bat the rest of the way and with three outs remaining in the final round, he planted a pitch into the left field stands for the win.
Rios, of the Blue Jays, hit a second-round high 12 homers after hitting five in the first round, but managed only two in the final round. He was vying to become the first Toronto player to win the derby.
The two-round total is wiped out heading into the final, as both contestants start from scratch.
The duo outlasted Colorado's Matt Holliday and St. Louis' Albert Pujols to earn the spot in the final. Both had a total of 13 total homers, with Holliday hitting eight and Pujols nine in the second round.
The four contestants who failed to advance out of the first round were Minnesota's Justin Morneau, Milwaukee's Prince Fielder, Philadelphia's Ryan Howard and Detroit Magglio Ordonez.
Morneau lost to Pujols 2-1 in a five-swing playoff after each connected on four homers in the first round. Fielder and the reigning champion Howard each had just three homers, while Ordonez had a first-round low two.
Howard was the only contestant in the derby who didn't make the All-Star Game.