FINAL SCORE: National League 3, American League 1

WP: Capps LP: Hughes S: Broxton

MVP: Brian McCann: 1-for-2, 3 RBIs

New York All-Stars:

David Wright: 2-for-2, SB

Jose Reyes: DNP, injured

Derek Jeter: 1-for-2, BB

Robinson Cano: 0-for-1, RBI

Nick Swisher: 0-for-1

Alex Rodriguez: DNP

Andy Pettitte: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K

Phil Hughes: L, 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER

CC Sabathia: DNP

Mariano Rivera: DNP, injured

********************************************************************

11:50 -- Ortiz singles on the first pitch he sees from Broxton to bring the tying run to the plate. Broxton strikes out Adrian Beltre with a 99 mph fastball. Broxton fell behind Buck 3-and-0 before working the count full. Buck then hit a bloop to right that fell in front of a charging Byrd. Byrd played the ball on a hop and tossed to second to force out Ortiz. With the AL down to their final out, Kinsler flew out to center to end the game. Not sure why A-Rod was the lone DNP on the AL squad.

The National League holds the American League to just five hits - the NL had just seven - to snap a 13-year losing streak. Games 1, 2, 6, and 7 of the World Series will likely be played in either Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, St. Louis, San Diego, Los Angeles, Colorado, or San Francisco.

11:40 -- Jose Valverde takes the ball in the ninth, strikes out the side (Michael Bourn, Young, and Byrd) and does some strange celebration pose after each strikeout. I must admit I was hoping for the final strikeout just to see how over the top Valverde's celebration would be. Wasn't as bad I was expecting. The AL is down to its final three outs. A possible A-Rod cameo coming up...Assuming he stuck around for the entire game this year.

11:31 -- Brian Wilson counters with a 1-2-3 inning of his own, making quick work of Andrus, Konerko, and Jose Bautista. Look's like the Dodgers' Jonathan Broxton will get a chance to close things out.

11:25 -- A quick inning for Rafael Soriano, who retires Gonzalez, Votto, and Rolen. The lone position player left on the AL bench is none other than Alex Rodriguez. Could make for an interesting pinch-hit opportunity.

11:18 -- Nick Swisher leads off against Adam Wainwright and strikes out. John Buck doubles off the glove of Holliday and Ian Kinsler draws a walk to put the tying runs on base. Vernon Wells hit a soft grounder to short, but the NL can only get the out at second. Hunter, the lone Angel, comes to the plate with a chance to be a hero. Even with an appearance by the Rally Monkey, Wainwright strikes out Hunter swinging to leave the tying runs stranded.

11:04 -- Phil Hughes comes out of the bullpen, something he may be doing more of later this season, to make his All-Star debut and gets Joey Votto to ground out before allowing back-to-back- singles to Rolen and Matt Holliday. Matt Thornton enters for Hughes with the tying run 90 feet away thanks to aggressive baserunning by Rolen. Chris Young pops out to first, much like he did in the Derby last night. Marlon Byrd battles to draw a walk and load the bases. McCann doubles to right to clears the base and possibly bring Game One of the World Series to an NL city for the first time since 2001. Andrew Bailey relieves Thornton and strikes out Phillips to end the inning. National League 3, American League 1.

10:32 -- Jeter singles off Roy Halladay and is then lifted for pinch-runner Elvis Andrus. Jeter finishes 1-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout. Strike him out, throw him out double play as Paul Konerko strikes out swinging and Andrus appears to have second base stolen but comes off the bag and gets tagged out by Brandon Phillips. Hamilton singles, knocking Halladay out of the game and bringing up the Home Run Derby champ David Ortiz. Matt Capps gets Ortiz looking to end the inning.

10:23 -- Jon Lester enters the game and sets down Ramirez, Prado, and Adrian Gonzalez. Nine outs left for the NL.

10:14 -- Hong-Chih Kuo enters and walks Longoria after getting ahead 0-and-2. He then air mails an easy throw to first after a grounder to the mound by Mauer as Longoria takes third. Cano drives in the game's first run with a sac fly just shy of the warning track in left. Bad baserunning by Mauer, who gets tagged out at third by Scott Rolen - he replaces Wright at third - after Crawford grounds out to short. Heath Bell relieves Kuo who gets Torii Hunter to fly out to right. It took a while but we finally have a run on the board. American League 1, National League 0.

9:58 -- Wright leads off with a single off Justin Verlander. He is now 2-for-2 and has accounted for 40 percent of the combined hits in the game so far. Wright steals second but Braun opts not to manufacture a run by bunting and goes down swinging. Ethier singles to rightfield as Wright gets held up at third. Verlander gets out of the jam by striking out Hart and getting Brian McCann to fly out to the warning track. Wright is stranded at third. So close yet so far.

9:44 -- Charlie Manuel leaves Johnson in for a second inning of work. After retiring Cabrera, Johnson gets some help from Braun, who makes a beautiful diving catch in leftfield to rob Hamilton of a hit. Guerrero lines out to first to put another zero on the scoreboard.

9:38 -- Cliff Lee, who was seemingly a Yankees for about 45 seconds last week, takes over for Pettitte and sets Prado, Pujols (strikeout), and Howard down in order. Has there ever been a bunt in All-Star game history? I'm thinking we may see one tonight with runs being so hard to come by.

9:30 -- Josh Johnson relieves Jimenez. He gets last year's All-Star game MVP Carl Crawford to line out to third, makes Ichiro look silly on a three-pitch strikeout, and gets Jeter looking on a 3-and-2 pitch. On a side note, earlier in the at-bat, Jeter got bruhsed back with a pitch up and in for the second time tonight, the first coming via Jimenez.

9:24 -- Joe Girardi chooses Andy Pettitte as the first man out of the bullpen. Pettitte proceeds to strike out Andre Ethier and Corey Hartto start the inning before allowing a single up to middle to Yadier Molina, the supposed "weak link" of the NL All-Star team with his .223 average. Ramirez grounds out to short to end the inning.

9:17 -- Ugly at-bat for the crowd favorite Guerrero who struck out on three pitches, chasing the third in the dirt. Evan Longoria ripped a double to left. Joe Mauer flied out to center. Robinson Cano, much improved with runners in scoring position this season, couldn't deliver in his first All-Star at-bat and grounded out to second. Two scoreless innings for Jimenez as well.

9:10 -- Ryan Howard is the first strikeout victim of the night. David Wright picks up the NL's first basehit of the night with a single that just eluded the glove of a diving Robinson Cano at second. Price induces Ryan Braun to hit into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning. Two scoreless innings for Price as the year of the pitcher continues.

9:02 -- "Now batting for the American League, from the New York Yankees, the shortstop, number two, Derek Jeter, number two." Just like at Yankee Stadium, a recording of the late Bob Sheppard announced Jeter's name as he walked to the plate. Jeter drew a walk and Miguel Cabrera singled but Jimenez made a nice stab on a comebacker to the mound off the bat of Josh Hamilton and turned a double play to end the inning.

8:55 -- Ichiro makes a nice running catch to take a potential double away from Albert Pujols. 1-2-3 inning for David Price, who retired Hanley Ramirez and Martin Prado.

8:48 -- We are finally moments away from first pitch. My prediction: the NL pitching staff, led by Jiminez, Josh Johnson, Roy Halladay, and Tim Lincecum defeat the AL's stacked lineup...One of the best lineups I can remember in All-Star game history as a matter of fact. But as we all know this is the second coming of the "Year of the Pitcher."

8:40 -- First pitch thrown by Rod Carew. I thought the honor should have gone to Ken Griffey Jr.. Actually, I think Griffey should have been allowed to play in the game as an honorary participant, kind of like Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. back in the day.

8:34 -- A nice moment of silence for “The Boss” before the singing of the National Anthem. Sung by one of the cast members of the television show “Glee” which just so happens to be on FOX. Funny how those things always seem to worst out.

8:10 -- Player introductions go quite smoothly. Very simplistic unlike the circus that is the NBA All-Star starting lineups. Naturally the loudest boos came when members of the Yankees, namely Alex Rodriguez, and Red Sox were announced. Mixed reactions for members of the Dodgers. The loudest ovation didn't go to hometown host, Torii Hunter, but to former Angel Vladimir Guerrero.

7:55 -- The passing of George Steinbrenner has somewhat overshadowed tonight's All-Star game, but the show must go on and "The Boss" would have it no other way.

With home field in the World Series on the line in the Mid-Summer Classic at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, the National League will look to snap a 13-year losing streak against the American League.

The NL last won an All-Star game in 1996 with a 6-0 win at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The lineup that day you ask? Lance Johnson, Barry Larkin, Barry Bonds, Fred McGriff, Mike Piazza, Dante Bichette, Chipper Jones, Craig Biggio, and John Smoltz. Only Jones remains in the league and even the stadium has been demolished.

Tonight’s Lineups:

National League

H. Ramirez, Florida, SS

M. Prado, Atlanta, 2B

A. Pujols, St. Louis, 1B

R. Howard, Philadelphia, DH

D. Wright, Mets, 3B

R. Braun, Milwaukee, LF

A. Ethier, Los Angeles, CF

C. Hart, Milwaukee, RF

Y. Molina, St. Louis, C

*-Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado, SP

American League

I. Suzuki, Seattle, RF

D. Jeter, Yankees, SS

M. Cabrera, Detroit, 1B

J. Hamilton, Texas, CF

V. Guerrero, Texas, DH

E. Longoria, Tampa Bay, 3B

J. Mauer, Minnesota, C

R. Cano, Yankees, 2B

C. Crawford, Tampa Bay, LF

*-David Price, Tampa Bay, SP

Player introductions and the first pitch of the 2010 MLB All-Star game are just minutes away...

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