SAN DIEGO -- Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez made sure the Kansas City Royals will start at home, sweet home if they get a chance to defend their World Series title.
The Royals duo homered off former Kansas City teammate Johnny Cueto during a six-pitch span in the second inning of Tuesday's All-Star Game. Hosmer added an RBI single to become the contest's MVP. And the American League beat the National League 4-2 for its fourth straight win in the Midsummer Classic.
David Ortiz found himself in the middle of the most touching moment at Petco Park, embraced by his AL teammates near first base after exiting his final All-Star Game. The popular Big Papi plans to retire at 40 after this season with the Boston Red Sox.
Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs led the parade of sparkling young talent with a first-inning home run. Dellin Betances flashed his 100 mph heat. And Houston Astros reliever Will Harris came on to throw a called third strike past St. Louis Cardinals rookie Aledmys Diaz on a 3-2 pitch on the outside corner with the bases loaded to end the eighth.
Royals reliever Kelvin Herrera pitched a hitless sixth for the AL, which will open the World Series at home for the 11th time in 14 years since the All-Star winner was used to determine the hosts for Games 1 and 2.
Kansas City became baseball royalty last fall, bursting to a 2-0 lead over the New York Mets at Kauffman Stadium, where Cueto pitched a two-hitter in the second game. The Royals won in five games for their first title since 1985.
This season, Kansas City is languishing at 45-43, seven games off the AL Central lead and in the middle of the wild-card race as attention turns to which teams will be buyers and sellers as the Aug. 1 trade deadline approaches.
The Cleveland Indians' Corey Kluber pitched a 1-2-3 second inning for the win, and Zach Britton got the save for the AL, which cut its All-Star Game deficit to 43-42, with two ties.
Ortiz, Boston's beloved designated hitter, wore spikes with gold-colored bottoms and matching batting gloves to mark his 10th All-Star selection and delivered the AL batting order to umpires at home plate.
Ortiz hit a smash down the first-base line that Anthony Rizzo snagged to rob him of a potential RBI double in the first inning and walked against Jose Fernandez in the third.
When Edwin Encarnacion came out to pinch run for him, Ortiz waved to the crowd, then his AL teammates came out of the dugout to exchange hugs as the crowd of 42,386 rose in tribute.
"I was supposed to hit a home run in my second at-bat. My boy [Fernandez] told me he was going to throw me a fastball, and the first pitch was a changeup," Ortiz said.
"Then 3-2, he threw me a slider, and I'm like, 'Are you trying to break my back?' But he said it was the catcher's fault."
Fernandez admitted of facing Ortiz, "I couldn't believe that I was actually pitching to him. We both looked at each other and smiled."
The 23-year-old Miami Marlins ace said, "He signed the jersey I brought for him."
Ortiz delivered a pregame speech to his mates.
"You don't get here with a good name or a good family," Ortiz said. "You have to put up the numbers. I told them that they have to do that for their whole career."
The All-Star Game returned to San Diego for the first time since 1992 at Jack Murphy Stadium. Just before this first pitch, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred joined Rod Carew, his family and the family of late Padres great Tony Gwynn and named the batting titles after the two Hall of Famers, giving Gwynn the NL honor and Carew the AL championship.
Gwynn died of salivary gland cancer two years ago at age 54.
Sailors dressed in white lined the foul lines and outfield warning tracks for the national anthems. The Tenors, a British Columbia-based group, changed an "O Canada" lyric to "We're all brothers and sisters. All lives matter to the great," and one held up a sign reading "All Lives Matter."
Randy Jones threw out the ceremonial first pitch and former Padres All-Star closer Trevor Hoffman helped open, bringing the game ball to the mound from the bullpen accompanied by AC/DC's "Hells Bells."
With an NL ballpark hosting for the second year in a row in what will be a streak of at least four (counting upcoming All-Star Games in Miami and Washington, D.C.), the AL wore white uniforms, hit last and used the Padres clubhouse on the first-base side. Ball boys in retro-style mustard-and-mud Padres uniforms lent a San Diego feel to Petco Park, which opened in 2004.
There was a home run on the game's fourth pitch for the second straight year; Bryant connected on a 96 mph Chris Sale fastball with two outs.
Hitters swung early in the count to beat the shadows creeping in from the left-field corner in the late-afternoon start.
Bryant, who had struck out in all of his regular-seat at-bats against Sale, was part of an all-Cubs infield -- the first starting infield quartet from a single team since the 1963 Cardinals.
"I think a lot of us were looking first pitch," said Bryant, who played college ball for the University of San Diego. "A lot of pitchers are coming into the game trying to light up the radar gun a bit."
That was the highlight for the NL Central-leading Cubs, whose fan base was pumped up by the team's fast start to the season and dreams of the team's first World Series title since 1908.
Mike Trout, the All-Star MVP in 2014 and 2015, singled in the first inning for a five-All-Star Game hitting streak. Only Mickey Mantle, Joe Morgan and Dave Winfield (seven each) and Stan Musial, Willie Mays and Nellie Fox (six apiece) strung together more.
The National League's lead after Bryant's shot was short-lived, with Hosmer and Perez going deep for a 3-1 lead in the second, sandwiched around Mookie Betts' single. Cueto was hard to miss in the center of the field, wearing lime green and orange spikes.
"This morning, I got up and didn't feel well. That is not an excuse," Cueto said. "I just left two pitches up, and that was the story."
Hosmer, the first Kansas City player to homer in an All-Star Game since Bo Jackson in 1989, made it 4-1 in the third against Fernandez, when he hit a one-hopper off Bryant's left arm and into left field for an RBI single.
Marcell Ozuna cut the gap to 4-2 with an run-scoring single off Aaron Sanchez in the fourth.





Final

National League 2

American League 4


8:00PM,EDT, July 12,2016

123456789 R H E
National 100100000 2 10 1
American 03100000 - 4 8 1
 
 
 
 
 
 
View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-PitchInning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
National - Top of 1stSCORE
Chris Sale pitching for AmericanNLAL
Zobrist flied out to left.00
Harper grounded out to second.00
Bryant homered to left (394 feet).10
Myers struck out swinging.10
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
American - Bottom of 1stSCORE
Johnny Cueto pitching for NationalNLAL
Altuve popped out to second.10
Trout singled to center.10
Machado flied out to left.10
Ortiz grounded out to first.10
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
National - Top of 2ndSCORE
Corey Kluber pitching for AmericanNLAL
Kluber relieved Sale.10
Posey grounded out to second.10
Rizzo grounded out to first.10
Ozuna struck out looking.10
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
American - Bottom of 2ndSCORE
Johnny Cueto pitching for NationalNLAL
Bogaerts grounded out to third.10
Hosmer homered to left (377 feet).11
Betts singled to center.11
Pérez homered to left (365 feet), Betts scored.13
Bradley Jr. reached on infield single to catcher.13
Altuve struck out swinging.13
Fernández relieved Cueto.13
Trout struck out swinging.13
3 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors
National - Top of 3rdSCORE
Cole Hamels pitching for AmericanNLAL
Hamels relieved Kluber.13
González singled to center.13
Russell flied out to center.13
Zobrist grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, González out at second.13
Harper doubled to center, Zobrist to third.13
Bryant struck out swinging.13
0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
American - Bottom of 3rdSCORE
Jose Fernandez pitching for NationalNLAL
Machado grounded out to third.13
Ortiz walked.13
Encarnación ran for Ortiz.13
Bogaerts doubled to left, Encarnación to third.13
Hosmer singled to left, Encarnación scored, Bogaerts to third.14
Betts grounded into double play, pitcher to second to first, Hosmer out at second.14
1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
National - Top of 4thSCORE
Aaron Sanchez pitching for AmericanNLAL
Sanchez relieved Hamels.14
Myers grounded out to shortstop.14
Posey walked.14
Rizzo singled to right, Posey to third.14
Ozuna singled to center, Posey scored, Rizzo to second.24
González lined out to second.24
Russell grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Ozuna out at second.24
1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
American - Bottom of 4thSCORE
Drew Pomeranz pitching for NationalNLAL
W. Ramos catching.24
Seager at shortstop.24
Pomeranz relieved Fernández.24
Pérez grounded out to third.24
Bradley Jr. singled to left.24
Altuve flied out to center.24
Trout grounded into fielder's choice to third, Bradley Jr. out at second.24
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
National - Top of 5thSCORE
Jose Quintana pitching for AmericanNLAL
Quintana relieved Sanchez.24
Murphy hit for Zobrist.24
Murphy safe at first on error by second baseman Altuve.24
Goldschmidt hit for Harper.24
Goldschmidt flied out to right.24
Arenado hit for Bryant.24
Arenado grounded into fielder's choice to third, Murphy out at second.24
Myers doubled to right, Arenado to third.24
W. Ramos struck out swinging.24
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors
American - Bottom of 5thSCORE
Julio Teheran pitching for NationalNLAL
Murphy at second base.24
Goldschmidt at first base.24
Arenado at third base.24
Bruce in right field.24
Herrera in center field.24
Duvall in left field.24
Teherán relieved Pomeranz.24
Machado flied out to left.24
Encarnación fouled out to catcher.24
Lindor hit for Bogaerts.24
Lindor popped out to shortstop.24
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
National - Top of 6thSCORE
Kelvin Herrera pitching for AmericanNLAL
Canó at second base.24
Desmond in center field.24
Donaldson at third base.24
Lindor at shortstop.24
Beltrán in right field.24
Wieters catching.24
Trumbo in left field.24
Herrera relieved Quintana.24
Bruce struck out swinging.24
Herrera flied out to center.24
Duvall grounded out to catcher.24
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
American - Bottom of 6thSCORE
Max Scherzer pitching for NationalNLAL
Scherzer relieved Teherán.24
Hosmer grounded out to second.24
Beltrán flied out to center.24
Wieters struck out swinging.24
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
National - Top of 7thSCORE
Dellin Betances pitching for AmericanNLAL
Cabrera at first base.24
Betances relieved Herrera.24
Seager struck out swinging.24
Murphy singled to right.24
Murphy to second on wild pitch by Betances.24
Goldschmidt flied out to center.24
Arenado struck out swinging.24
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
American - Bottom of 7thSCORE
Jon Lester pitching for NationalNLAL
Lucroy catching.24
Lester relieved Scherzer.24
Trumbo safe at first on error by shortstop Seager.24
Canó walked, Trumbo to second.24
Desmond grounded into fielder's choice to third, Canó out at second, Trumbo to third.24
Donaldson flied out to left, Desmond to second.24
Melancon relieved Lester.24
Encarnación walked.24
Lindor grounded out to second.24
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 Errors
National - Top of 8thSCORE
Andrew Miller pitching for AmericanNLAL
Saunders in right field.24
Miller relieved Betances.24
Belt hit for Myers.24
Belt flied out to left.24
Lucroy singled to left.24
Bruce struck out swinging.24
Marte hit for Herrera.24
Marte singled to right, Lucroy to second.24
Duvall walked, Lucroy to third, Marte to second.24
Díaz hit for Seager.24
Harris relieved Miller.24
Díaz struck out looking.24
0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
American - Bottom of 8thSCORE
Fernando Rodney pitching for NationalNLAL
Marte in center field.24
Díaz at shortstop.24
Rodney relieved Melancon.24
Cabrera struck out looking.24
Saunders popped out to third.24
Jansen relieved Rodney.24
Wieters struck out swinging.24
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
National - Top of 9thSCORE
Zach Britton pitching for AmericanNLAL
Núñez at second base.24
Britton relieved Harris.24
Murphy singled to center.24
Goldschmidt grounded into fielder's choice to pitcher, Murphy out at second.24
Arenado grounded into double play, third to second to first, Goldschmidt out at second.24
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors



National All-Stars

HittersABRHRBIBBSO#PAVGOBPSLG
Zobrist 2B2000007.000.000.000
a-Murphy PH-2B
30200013.667.667.667
Harper RF2010003.500.5001.000
b-Goldschmidt PH-1B
30000012.000.000.000
Bryant 3B2111018.500.5002.000
c-Arenado PH-3B
3000018.000.000.000
Myers DH30100112.333.333.667
d-Belt PH-DH
1000006.000.000.000
Posey C1100106.000.500.000
1000013.000.000.000
10100071.0001.0001.000
Rizzo 1B2010006.500.500.500
Bruce RF
2000028.000.000.000
Ozuna CF20110110.500.500.500
1000003.000.000.000
e-Marte PH-CF
10100011.0001.0001.000
González LF2010008.500.500.500
Duvall LF
10001011.000.500.000
Russell SS2000005.000.000.000
Seager SS
1000015.000.000.000
f-Díaz PH-SS
1000016.000.000.000
Totals37210229148   
a-reached on error for B Zobrist in the 5th
b-flied out to right for B Harper in the 5th
c-grounded into fielder's choice to third for K Bryant in the 5th
d-flied out to left for W Myers in the 8th
e-singled to right for O Herrera in the 8th
f-struck out looking for C Seager in the 8th
BATTING
2B: Harper (1, Hamels); Myers (1, Quintana)
HR: Bryant (1, 1st inning off Sale 0 on, 2 Out)
RBI: Bryant (1), Ozuna (1)
2-out RBI: Bryant
GIDP: Arenado
All-Stars RISP: 1-8 (Díaz 0-1, Ozuna 1-1, W. Ramos 0-1, Bryant 0-1, Goldschmidt 0-1, González 0-1, Arenado 0-1, Russell 0-1)
Team LOB: 10
FIELDING
E: Seager (1, ground ball)
DP: 1 (Fernández-Zobrist-Rizzo).

Game Information

Attendance42,386
Game Time3:05
Weather72 degrees, clear
Wind9 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Mike Winters, First Base - Kerwin Danley, Second Base - Marty Foster, Third Base - Bill Welke, Left Field - Adrian Johnson, Right Field - Dan Bellino