All Star Game Shows Inept American League Batting

A-Rod, Big Papi, and Ichiro were all quiet against the National League pitching staff.

It took Michael Young to wake up the American League in the ninth inning.

The big bats were shut down by a collection of relatively lesser-known National League pitchers until the ninth inning. Young, the reigning AL batting champion, smacked a two-run, two-out triple to center off Trevor Hoffman to deflate an NL-partisan crowd and provide the difference in a 3-2 win Tuesday night.

Until then, NL pitching ruled.

Brandon Webb foiled the AL with his sinkerball, getting Derek Jeter way out in front on one swinging strike. Brian Fuentes made Ichiro Suzuki wave weakly before getting him to bounce out harmlessly to third.

Vladimir Guerrero provided all the AL's offense until the ninth with a home run in the second inning off Brad Penny that put the Junior Circuit out in front 1-0. That was the only blemish for the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, who had an otherwise good night by striking out Suzuki, Jeter and Big Papi David Ortiz in the first.

Defense helped, too.

Hometown favorite Jason Bay of the Pirates snared a low line drive just above his feet to get Suzuki out in the third. Freddy Sanchez, also of the Pirates, made a sweet grab of Mark Loretta's liner in the fifth, leaping and extending his right arm high above his head for an out.

Then came the ninth, and Young's big hit of Trevor Hoffman, who is closing in on Lee Smith's career saves record of 478.

Combined the top four hitters in the AL's starting lineup - Suzuki, Jeter, Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez - went 0-for-10. Young walked off with the MVP award.

July 12, 2006
Posted By Terry Goodwin
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