The All-Star Game involved Adam Frazier. Therefore, it involved a hit -- and it nearly featured the consistent show of slugging that Bryan Reynolds has put on this season.

Frazier, the MLB hits leader after the first half of the regular season, gave the National League team its first hit in its 5-2 loss to the American League in the 2021 Midsummer Classic with a third-inning line drive to right field -- a hallmark hit for the high-average hitter.

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What else is his hallmark? Working a deep count. To get to the single off Rangers right-hander Kyle Gibson, he took two pitches for balls, then stroked a sinker down the middle over the head of Blue Jays second baseman Marcus Semien.

In his second and final at-bat of the night during the fifth, Frazier set himself up well to get on base, as he has done at a .397 clip in 89 games this season. He drew another 2-0 count, but home-plate umpire Tom Hallion called strike one on a fastball that appeared to be well off the plate from Tigers reliever Gregory Soto. Frazier grounded out on the fifth pitch, which was almost identical to the missed call.

“Something I take a lot of pride in is being a tough out,” Frazier said before the game. “Not striking out, putting the ball in play and just getting hits.”

However, the first tool that flashed for Frazier on the day -- outside of the snazzy mint green suit he wore on his pregame stroll down the purple carpet -- was his defense.

Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani led off the game by hitting a hard grounder to the left of Frazier, who ranged over and made a clean throw to first base for the initial out. Then, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. scorched a 111.1-mph ground ball that bounced right in front of Frazier, who lowered his stance and made a hard snag look easy before firing for the second out.

One at-bat before Frazier’s hit in the third inning, Reynolds nearly sent Coors Field into a frenzy.

The packed house got loud as the left-handed slugger, who has hit 16 homers, drove a ball to the bullpen in right field. However, the light air at Coors Field wasn’t quite enough to lift it over the wall, and he ended up with a Statcast-projected 381-foot flyout to Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge.

And yes, you read that right: Reynolds (No. 8) hit before Frazier (No. 9). It was a rare lineup alignment, as Frazier has batted leadoff in every game this season.

“Yeah, I’ve been hitting behind him for a while now,” Reynolds said before the game, “so it will be different, but it will be cool, too.”

Maybe the most impressive thing for the Pirates' representatives, though, wasn’t anything they accomplished on the field. It’s the fact they were in position for the first pitch.

This year is only the third time in the divisional era (since 1969) that Pittsburgh has had two starters in the All-Star Game, alongside Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke in 1992 and Willie Stargell and Dock Ellis in 1971.

“Coming from a small market, it’s special to be voted in as a starter,” Frazier said. “For the recognition from the fans and the baseball community, it was pretty humbling and meant a lot.”