Aimee
MINNEAPOLIS — Todd Frazier took a little time to get going while kicking off the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby on Monday, but once he did, the homers came in a hurry.
The Toms River native led off in the rain-delayed festivities at Target Field with a pair of home runs off his own batting practice pitcher — brother Charlie Frazier. Frazier then added a third homer in a swing-off at the end of the first round to advance to the second round against Colorado’s Troy Tulowitzki.
But in the second round, the Cincinnati Reds third baseman and first-time All-Star exploded for six home runs. Tulowitzki only managed two, sending the Toms River High School South product to the semifinals against Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton.
Frazier slowed back down in the semis, adding just one more home run, but it was enough to advance to the finals when Stanton was shut out. He faced off against Oakland’s Yoenis Cespedes in the final.
Cespedes set a daunting bar in the final with nine home runs — a mountain that was too high for Frazier to climb. The New Jersey native added another homer, but fell 9-1 in the final to settle for second place. Cespedes repeated as Derby champion.
