NEW YORK (AP) -Center fielder Nate McLouth threw out a runner at the plate in the bottom of the 11th inning, and National League pitcher Aaron Cook wriggled out of three jams to help keep the All-Star game tied 3-all after 13 innings Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
Tampa Bay rookie Evan Longoria tied it for the AL with an RBI double off Billy Wagner with two outs in the eighth. Longoria squandered two chances to win it later, however, and the Americans couldn’t take advantage of a record three errors by Florida second baseman Dan Uggla.
The NL was trying to snap an 0-10-1 skid in the Midsummer Classic since its most recent victory in 1996 at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium.
As the teams played past 1 a.m., it was the longest All-Star game by time. It also was the most innings in an All-Star game since the NL won 2-1 in a record 15 innings in 1967 at Anaheim, Calif.
The last time the All-Star game went into extras was the infamous 7-all tie in 2002 at Milwaukee’s Miller Park. That game was called after 11 innings because both teams ran out of pitchers. The NL is 9-0-1 in extra inning games.
Cook escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam for the National League in the 10th by inducing three straight grounders. He gave up three singles in the 11th, but McLouth cut down slow-footed Dioner Navarro at the plate on Michael Young’s ground single up the middle for the second out.
Carlos Quentin then bounced to third with runners at second and third to end the inning.
Carlos Guillen opened the bottom of the 12th with a double and went to third on Grady Sizemore’s groundout. Cook then fanned Longoria and walked Justin Morneau intentionally before Ian Kinsler grounded out.
The AL was 3-for-22 with runners in scoring position.
Baltimore lefty George Sherrill escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 12th by striking out Uggla and Adrian Gonzalez.
Mariano Rivera took over on the mound for the AL in the ninth, delighting the sellout crowd. He got Uggla to ground into an inning-ending double play in the 10th with runners at the corners.
Uggla then made consecutive errors at second base to start the bottom half, putting runners at the corners. Guillen was intentionally walked, and Cook wriggled out of it.
The Colorado Rockies right-hander induced two straight grounders for force plays at the plate – including one by Longoria for the second out. Morneau then bounced to shortstop on a nice play by Miguel Tejada.
Boston’s J.D. Drew hit a two-run homer for the Americans off Edinson Volquez in the seventh, tying the score at 2. Drew became the 15th player to homer in his first All-Star at-bat.
Matt Holliday homered in the fifth for the NL, which took a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth when Tejada helped manufacture a run.
Tejada singled off Boston reliever Jonathan Papelbon, who was booed lustily by the sellout crowd. Tejada stole second and went to third on catcher Navarro’s throwing error before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Gonzalez.
The teams combined for seven steals, an All-Star game record. The six by the AL set a mark for one team.
San Francisco closer Brian Wilson retired the first two batters in the eighth before giving way to Wagner. He gave up a single to Sizemore, who stole second without a throw and scored when Longoria golfed a 2-2 delivery down the left-field line for a ground-rule double.
Rivera entered to huge cheers with one on and one out in the ninth. He struck out Ryan Ludwick, and Cristian Guzman was caught stealing for an inning-ending double play.
Ryan Dempster of the Chicago Cubs struck out all three AL hitters in the bottom of the ninth.
Lance Berkman had a long sacrifice fly for the NL in the sixth, making it 2-0.
Ben Sheets, Carlos Zambrano and Dan Haren combined to shut down the Americans early with two shutout innings each.
The game was scoreless through four innings for the first time since 1990 at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
Leading off the fifth, Holliday drove a 2-2 pitch from Ervin Santana to the opposite field and far over the fence in right.
It was the first All-Star hit for Holliday, playing in the game for the third straight year. He started in right field as an injury replacement for Alfonso Soriano of the Chicago Cubs.
Hanley Ramirez and Chase Utley of the NL opened the sixth with singles off Justin Duchscherer, putting runners at the corners. Berkman followed with a drive to deep center for a sacrifice fly.
Ichiro Suzuki flashed his rocket arm in the fourth, throwing out Albert Pujols at second when he tried to stretch a single on his drive off the base of the right-field wall.
Boston manager Terry Francona pulled Yankees starters Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter while the AL was on the field so they could receive ovations from the crowd as they trotted off.
“The best game I was ever in,” said Rodriguez, who went 0-for-2 with a strikeout. “Overwhelming. Tremendous support.”
Jeter singled and stole second in the first inning, but grounded into a double play in the third and bounced back to the mound with two on to end the fifth.
Starting pitchers Cliff Lee and Sheets both finished with three strikeouts in two innings. Enjoying a tremendous turnaround for Cleveland, Lee started the game by fanning Ramirez and Utley.
Sheets, the first Brewers pitcher to start an All-Star game, walked two in the second and then escaped trouble when Dustin Pedroia flied out.
Baseball’s grand salute to Yankee Stadium in its final season began with a pregame spectacle that included 49 Hall of Famers.
First, Ernie Banks addressed the NL All-Stars in their clubhouse, George Brett the AL squad.
Then, greats of the game such as Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Bob Feller walked in from the outfield and stood at their positions. They were introduced one by one, tipping caps from their former teams to the crowd.
When this year’s All-Star starters were introduced, they jogged out to their positions and greeted the Hall of Famers with handshakes and hugs. It was billed as the greatest collection of stars ever assembled on one field.
With all the players still out there, 78-year-old Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was driven to the mound on a cart as cameras flashed all around the 85-year-old ballpark.
The Boss delivered baseballs to Yankees Hall of Famers Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson and Goose Gossage for the ceremonial first pitches.
As streamers soared into the air, those four tossed to four current Yankees, including manager Joe Girardi.
Finally, it was time to play ball.
One All-Star was missing from the festivities. San Francisco pitcher Tim Lincecum was hospitalized Tuesday with flulike symptoms and dehydration, preventing him from attending his first Midsummer Classic.
The right-hander was treated and released in the afternoon.
“He’s resting comfortably,” Giants spokesman Matt Chisholm said.
Add A Comment