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Posts: 31341Timestamp: Wed Jul 16, 08 4:13 AM
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| Post URL: AL Beats NL 4-3 in Baseball's Longest All-Star Game
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Bloomberg: July 16 (Bloomberg) -- Michael Young of the Texas Rangers hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 15th inning to end the longest All-Star Game in Major League Baseball history, a 4-3 American League victory that extended its unbeaten streak over the National League to 12 years.
It was the second time in three years that Young drove in the winning run in the All-Star Game.
The game at Yankee Stadium ended at just after 1:30 a.m. New York time as Minnesota's Justin Morneau scored the winning run from third base, sliding home ahead of the throw from NL right fielder Corey Hart of the Milwaukee Brewers.
``Every single player was on the top step of the dugout, the energy, the enthusiasm, they knew where we were at,'' AL manager Terry Francona of the Boston Red Sox said. ``It was an honor to be a part of what they were doing.''
Both teams used all their pitchers in the 4-hour, 50-minute game, which easily surpassed the previous All-Star record of 3:41 set in the NL's 15-inning, 2-1 victory in 1967. That was the only other All-Star Game to go 15 innings.
``It was fun to be a part of, but it was a little difficult because it went a little longer than we were comfortable with,'' Francona said at a news conference.
Drew Wins MVP
Boston's J.D. Drew was voted the Most Valuable Player after going 2-for-4 with a game-tying two-run home run in the seventh inning. Drew was the 15th player to homer in his first All-Star at-bat, the first since the New York Mets' David Wright in 2006.
Scott Kazmir of the Tampa Bay Rays picked up the win after throwing a scoreless top of the 15th inning as the AL's 12th pitcher. Kazmir originally wasn't going to be used in the game because he threw 104 pitches the day before the All-Star break on July 13.
It marked the first win for the AL in 11 All-Star contests that have gone to extra innings.
Philadelphia Phillies closer Brad Lidge, the last of the NL's 11 pitchers, took the loss after allowing two singles and a walk in the bottom of the inning before Young's sacrifice fly scored Morneau.
``It was about as close as you can get. I think my foot just got in there,'' Morneau said. ``It felt like I was running in quick sand. You are hoping that the throw is off line.''
Young also gave the AL a 3-2 victory in 2006 with a two-run triple in the ninth inning in Pittsburgh.
All-Star Records
The 23 pitchers combined for 453 pitches and a record 34 strikeouts. The 63 players used in the game topped the previous mark of 60 set in the 7-7, 11-inning tie in 2002.
That game was called after both teams ran out of pitchers, leading to expanded All-Star rosters.
``I was thinking, `Is it ever going to end?''' said Russ Martin of the NL's Los Angeles Dodgers, who tagged out opposing catcher Dioner Navarro of the Rays at home plate to end the 11th inning. ``It was a never-ending game. It's not like they were easy innings. We had a few nice plays to save the game.''
Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies hit a homer for the NL, while Dan Uggla of the Florida Marlins set an All-Star record with three errors, all in extra innings.
With the victory, the AL improved to 11-0-1 in the All-Star Game since 1996.
The American League's victory also means the team that wins the AL pennant gets home-field advantage in the World Series and the right to host four games if the championship round is extended to seven games.
Source: Bloomberg.com
Baseball, Sports, All-Star-Game
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