National League snaps its losing steak in All-Star game‎

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Atlanta's Brian McCann almost had a three-run hit against Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander in the fifth inning Tuesday night. His long drive with two runners on base on was caught in deep rightfield.

Next time up, McCann did get that three-run hit.

With two outs in the seventh and the bases loaded, he pulled a line-drive three-run double into the rightfield corner.

McCann's hit broke up the American League's shutout bid.

The National League kept that McCann-generated lead and won, 3-1. It had been 0-12-1 in the All-Star Game since '96.

Until McCann delivered, the AL led, 1-0, on a hitless run in the fifth. Verlander would have been the winning pitcher had the AL led the rest of the game.

McCann's hit came in a lefty-lefty duel with Matt Thornton, the White Sox's hard-throwing reliever. Thornton, a Michigan native, inherited a first-and-third, one-out jam from Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes. Thornton got pinch-hitter Chris Young to pop out. But he walked Byrd, and that brought up McCann with the bases loaded.

In the last All-Star Game in Anaheim, in 1989, the winning pitcher was Texas right-hander Nolan Ryan, by then an old hard thrower. In the early innings, Tuesday's game belonged to some of the young hard throwers who have put such a stamp on this season.

Three of the first four pitchers fit that description, including the starters, Tampa Bay's David Price and Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez. Jimenez got four of his six outs with runners in scoring position, including an inning-ending double play in the first from Texas' Josh Hamilton.

But there's still a spot in baseball for shrewd veterans who don't throw ultrahard. Andy Pettitte and Cliff Lee showed that when they pitched a scoreless third and fourth, respectively.

Lee unfurled an inning that showed why he was so popular on the trade market. Wearing the uniform of Texas, which dealt for him Friday, Lee retired the side in order on six pitches, including a three-pitch strikeout of Albert Pujols that he capped with a 93-m.p.h. fastball.

Brian McCann's double ends NL drought | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Bout ****in time.

Rockies get home field in the world series yes! :ssh:

Woot.

Meloman, I agree with you as they really get home field during global series and I think it was cited mostly in various baseball news and daily sports channels.