AL continues to dominate All-Star Game

July 15, 12:33 PMHouston Astros ExaminerStephen Goff

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Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada prepares for Tuesday's All-Star Game in St. Louis. Tejada went hitless in two at-bats, but helped turn a sixth-inning double play. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The MLB All-Star Game often takes a back seat to all the festivities leading up to the actual game.

Considered one of the greatest sports cities in the United States, St. Louis hosted the game Tuesday night for the third time in franchise history.

Hall of Famers, movie stars, musicians, current MLB superstars, as well as President Barack Obama, collaborated to entertain the sports fans in St. Louis over the five-day period.

It's been 43 years since the game's most talented players flocked to St. Louis for the Midsummer Classic.

In 1966, Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax and Detroit Tiger standout Denny McLain were the starting pitchers at Busch Memorial Stadium.

The American League featured Al Kaline, Harmon Killebrew and Carl Yastrzemski, while the National League's roster consisted of Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays.

Curt Flood, Bob Gibson and Tim McCarver represented the hometown St. Louis Cardinals in the National League's 2-1 win. Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson earned MVP honors despite being on the losing team. 

Focus on Pujols and Musial

For this year's All-Star Game, the spotlight belonged to Cardinals superstar Albert Pujols. The 29-year-old slugger played the role of ambassador to both leagues' All-Stars, as well as the former players and celebrities taking part in the event.

Whether it was Milwaukee Brewers All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder winning the State Farm Home Run Derby, Sheryl Crow singing the national anthem or President Obama throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, the city of St. Louis and Major League Baseball made it a point to honor the legendary Stan Musial. 

The 88-year-old Hall of Fame outfielder highlighted the pre-game ceremony with a standing ovation from the players and fans as he was driven in from right field. He greeted President Obama near the National League dugout, and handed our nation's Commander-in-Chief the ball to throw out the first pitch.

Joining Musial on the field was an array of Cardinals Hall of Famers, including Lou Brock, Gibson, Red Schoendienst, Bruce Sutter and Ozzie Smith.

With all the magic floating in the air, it did little to sway the momentum back toward the National League. Once again, the AL secured home-field advantage in the World Series behind the arms of Jonathan Papelbon, Joe Nathan and Mariano Rivera en route to a 4-3 victory.

Since its 1996 defeat at Philadelphia, the American League has gone on a tear, posting a 12-0-1 record -- the longest unbeaten streak in All-Star history.

Pujols made a critical error in the first inning, which opened the door for two early AL runs. The National League retaliated with three runs in the second on four consecutive two-out hits.

St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina brought the crowd to life with an RBI single to center. American League outfielder Josh Hamilton's throw from center bounced off Shane Victorino for an error, leading to a 2-2 tie. Fielder gave the NL the lead on a ground rule double to left.

Joe Mauer's double in the fifth off Dodger standout Chad Billingsley scored Derek Jeter to tie the game 3-3. Ultimately, Curtis Granderson tripled and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth when Adam Jones cracked a sacrifice fly off San Diego's Heath Bell.

American League manager Joel Madden turned to Rivera in the ninth to secure the victory. The future Hall of Fame closer retired the side for his fourth career All-Star save. He overpowered NL hitters with his sharp-breaking cut fastball to maintain his All-Star Game ERA at 0.00.   

The American League squad proved that solid, old-fashioned pitching wins ball games. After scoring all of their runs in the second, 22 of the National League's final 24 batters recorded an out.

Starter Roy Halladay, Mark Buehrle, Zack Greinke, Edwin Jackson, Felix Hernandez, Papelbon and Nathan came within two outs of setting the All-Star record for consecutive outs, which was established by the National League in 1968. 

Strong Houston affiliates  

Tampa Bay outfielder Carl Crawford, a Houston native, earned MVP honors after going 1-for-3 at the plate. The Davis High School graduate became the first All-Star Game position player since Mays in 1968 to be awarded the MVP without recording an RBI. 

It wasn't so much Crawford's offense, but his defensive skills, which earned him the MVP Award. He snagged a leadoff seventh-inning home run away from Colorado's Brad Hawpe to prevent the National League from taking a one-run lead. 

Houston Astros All-Stars Miguel Tejada and Hunter Pence did little to impact the game. Tejada turned a sixth-inning double play, but went hitless in two at-bats. The 35-year-old shortstop popped out in the ninth against Rivera to end the game.

On the other hand, Pence was one of two NL position players who did not see game action.

Although Tejada and Pence won't make nationwide headlines for their performance, both players honorably represented the Astros' organization. This marked the sixth All-Star selection for Tejada, while Pence made his first ever appearance.  

Now that the regular season has reached the midway point, several teams, including the Astros, find themselves in the thick of a pennant race. With the MLB trade deadline approaching, teams will soon determine whether to become buyers or sellers.