A.L. All-Stars 5, N.L. All-Stars 4

[plotty]

AL over NL 7-4

AL P2C - Vlad Guerrero (MVP)
NL P2C - Jose Reyes

[gilgameche]

AL over NL 10-9

AL P2C A-Rod (MVP)
NL P2C David Wright

[KC Royals Nation]

OK, according to the link below, Dan Haren will start for the American League and Jake Peavy will start for the National League.

mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070709&content_id=2077520&vkey=allstar2007&fext=.jsp

Here are the lineups:

ALL-STAR LINEUPS

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Ichiro Suzuki, cf
Derek Jeter, ss
David Ortiz, 1b
Alex Rodriguez, 3b
Vladimir Guerrero, rf
Magglio Ordonez, lf
Ivan Rodriguez, c
Placido Polanco, 2b
Dan Haren, p

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Jose Reyes, ss
Barry Bonds, lf
Carlos Beltran, cf
Ken Griffey Jr., rf
David Wright, 3b
Prince Fielder, 1b
Russell Martin, c
Chase Utley, 2b
Jake Peavy, p

Get those picks to click in below!

[sahurst]

AL over NL 9-7

AL P2C J Morneau (MVP)
NL P2C B Bonds

[dejesus9]

AL over NL 4-2

AL P2C A-Rod MVP
NL P2C Prince Fielder

[skillset]

My predictions

American League over the National League 3-0.

American League pitchers Haren, Sabathia, Beckett, Verlander, Lackey, Santana, FRod, Putz, and Papelbon combine to pitch a shutout!

My P2C Magglio Ordonez is named MVP for his 2-run double that opened up the game by scoring David Ortiz and Vladimir Guerrero in the 4th inning.

Matt Holliday is my P2C for the National League.

[1royalway]

So far 1-0 NL.

Ken Griffey Jr. with an RBI single scoring Jose Reyes.

[KC Royals Nation]

mlb.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070710&content_id=2079841&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Ichiro leads the way in AL victory
Outfielder's inside-the-park homer a first in All-Star history
By Chris Haft / MLB.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- Given the distinct San Francisco flavor that emerged Tuesday night at AT&T Park, the 78th All-Star Game might as well have been stuffed between slices of sourdough bread and washed down with a pint of Anchor Steam beer.
The dimensions and atmosphere of the bayside ballpark were very much in evidence as the American League claimed its 10th consecutive All-Star victory, outlasting the National League, 5-4, on home runs by Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki, Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford and Cleveland's Victor Martinez.

Neither of the first two homers was ordinary.

Ichiro, who already has established himself as one of the most singular performers in the Major Leagues with his unique hitting style, recorded the first inside-the-park homer in All-Star history on a fifth-inning drive off the charming, quirky, asymmetrical right-field wall.

Fans can feel close to the action within AT&T's intimate confines, which was demonstrated on Crawford's homer one inning later. Though the NL didn't argue for a ground-rule double, a fan appeared to reach beyond the top of the right-field stands to catch Crawford's two-out drive off Milwaukee's Francisco Cordero.

Despite the long balls, this was a game dominated by pitchers -- reflecting another of AT&T Park's tendencies. The NL kept the score close for most of the game by using one hurler per inning, while Boston's Josh Beckett worked two scoreless innings to lead the AL's pitching procession.

For good measure, the paid crowd of 43,965 lustily booed Los Angeles Dodgers representatives Russell Martin, Brad Penny and Takashi Saito, as if this were a regular-season game.

But it wasn't the regular season. It was the Midsummer Classic, which Ichiro turned into his midsummer night's dream with one out in the fifth and the AL trailing, 1-0.

After San Diego right-hander Chris Young issued a leadoff walk to Baltimore's Brian Roberts, Ichiro lashed the first pitch to the inner left edge of the wall inside the third of eight archways lining the right-field barrier. Instead of caroming to Cincinnati's Ken Griffey Jr., the ball bounced crazily back toward right field, enabling the fleet Ichiro to round the bases with his first career inside-the-park homer as Roberts scored ahead of him.

Crawford's homer lengthened the AL's lead to 3-1, which the NL trimmed in its half of the sixth. Carlos Beltran of the Mets led off with a triple -- another vintage AT&T hit on a liner that struck near the top of the 25-foot-high right-field wall. Griffey picked up his second RBI with a sacrifice fly.

But Martinez essentially settled the outcome in the eighth against Mets left-hander Billy Wagner. Two outs after Mike Lowell drilled a leadoff single, Martinez clobbered Wagner's 2-0 pitch over the left-field wall for the 18th pinch-hit homer in All-Star annals.

One of the game's most anticipated elements, the performance of San Francisco left fielder Barry Bonds, fell short of achieving full drama. Bonds, the favorite son of the largest paid crowd in AT&T Park history, played three innings and went 0-for-2, batting both times with runners in scoring position.

Still, Bonds was thrilled by the ovations he received during pregame introductions and before his first at-bat.

"There's too many emotions to be able to explain it," Bonds said. "This is my family. ... All you can say is thank you."

The NL opened the scoring in the first inning. Mets shortstop Jose Reyes singled up the middle on AL starter Dan Haren's second pitch and stole second base, displaying the form that has made him the Majors' leader with 46 thefts. Up came Bonds, batting second for the first time since the 1993 All-Star Game at Baltimore. The oldest starter in All-Star Game history (42 years, 11 months, 16 days) flied out to right field. But Griffey put the NL ahead by smashing a 2-2 pitch up the middle for a single on a ball that caromed off the mound and skipped into center field.

Bonds' second at-bat came in the third inning after Reyes' oddly spinning, opposite-side one-hopper darted past third baseman Alex Rodriguez for a double. This time, Bonds sent a promising-looking drive to left field on Beckett's 1-1 pitch, but Magglio Ordonez caught the ball on the warning track. Beckett escaped the inning by retiring Beltran on a groundout and striking out Griffey.

The AL launched a mild threat in the third inning when Ichiro and Jeter singled with two outs off Milwaukee's Ben Sheets, who danced off the hook by coaxing David Ortiz's line drive to right.

Facing Philadelphia's Cole Hamels one inning later, Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees singled, stole second and charged home on Ivan Rodriguez's single to right field. But Griffey quickly came up with the ball and made a forceful throw to Martin. The Dodgers catcher deftly short-hopped the peg and tagged out Alex Rodriguez, who didn't slide.

By the next inning, the AL was again on its feet -- in a dramatically different way.

[KC Royals Nation]

AL All-Stars 5, NL All-Stars 4

July 10, 2007

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
AL All-Stars 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 5 10 0
NL All-Stars 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 4 9 1

AL All-Stars AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Suzuki, CF 3 1 3 2 0 0 0 1.000
Hunter, CF 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Rodriguez, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Jeter, SS 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 .333
Sabathia, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Lowell, 3B 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1.000
Ortiz, 1B 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000
Morneau, 1B 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Rodriguez, 3B 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 .333
Verlander, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Sizemore, RF-CF 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000
Guerrero, RF 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Santana, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
c-Martinez, PH 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 1.000
Papelbon, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Putz, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Rios, RF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Ordonez, LF 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Crawford, LF 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 .500
Rodriguez, C 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .500
Guillen, SS 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Polanco, 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Roberts, 2B 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 .000
Haren, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
a-Ramirez, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Beckett, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
b-Posada, PH-C 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 .333
Totals 36 5 10 5 1 1 10

a-Flied out for Haren in the 3rd. b-Flied out for Beckett in the 5th. c-Homered for Santana in the 8th.

BATTING
2B: Posada (1, Hoffman).
HR: Suzuki (1, 5th inning off Young, 1 on, 1 out), Crawford (1, 6th inning off Cordero, 0 on, 2 out), Martinez (1, 8th inning off Wagner, 1 on, 2 out).
TB: Suzuki 6; Jeter; Lowell; Rodriguez; Martinez 4; Crawford 4; Rodriguez; Posada 2.
RBI: Suzuki 2 (2), Crawford (1), Martinez 2 (2).
2-out RBI: Crawford; Martinez 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Ortiz; Hunter.
GIDP: Jeter.
Team LOB: 5.

BASERUNNING
SB: Rodriguez (1, 2nd base off Hamels/Martin).

FIELDING
PB: Posada (1).

NL All-Stars AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Reyes, SS 4 1 3 0 0 0 0 .750
Hardy, SS 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000
Bonds, LF 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000
Hamels, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Lee, 1B 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 .500
Beltran, CF 3 1 1 0 0 1 2 .333
Hudson, 2B 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 .000
Griffey, RF 2 0 1 2 0 1 1 .500
Rowand, CF 2 0 0 0 0 1 4 .000
Wright, 3B 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 .333
Sanchez, 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Fielder, 1B 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000
Young, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Cordero, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
b-Holliday, PH-RF 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000
Martin, C 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 .000
McCann, C 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Utley, 2B 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Saito, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
c-Lee, PH 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000
Wagner, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Hoffman, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
d-Young, PH 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1.000
Peavy, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Penny, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
a-Cabrera, PH 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000
Sheets, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Soriano, LF 3 1 1 2 0 1 0 .333
Totals 35 4 9 4 4 9 18

a-Struck out for Penny in the 2nd. b-Grounded out for Cordero in the 6th. c-Struck out for Saito in the 7th. d-Singled for Hoffman in the 9th.

BATTING
2B: Reyes (1, Beckett).
3B: Beltran (1, Verlander).
HR: Soriano (1, 9th inning off Putz, 1 on, 2 out).
TB: Reyes 4; Lee; Beltran 3; Griffey; Wright; Young; Soriano 4.
RBI: Griffey 2 (2), Soriano 2 (2).
2-out RBI: Griffey; Soriano 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Griffey; Martin; Sanchez; Rowand 2.
SF: Griffey.
Team LOB: 9.

BASERUNNING
SB: Reyes (1, 2nd base off Haren/Rodriguez), Lee (1, 2nd base off Papelbon/Posada).

FIELDING
E: Fielder (1, missed catch).
Outfield assists: Griffey (Rodriguez at home).
DP: (Reyes-Utley-Fielder).

AL All-Stars IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Haren 2.0 2 1 1 1 2 0 4.50
Beckett (W, 1-0) 2.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0.00
Sabathia (H, 1) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Verlander (H, 1) 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 0 9.00
Santana (H, 1) 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.00
Papelbon (H, 1) 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0.00
Putz (H, 1) 0.2 2 2 2 1 1 1 27.00
Rodriguez (S, 1) 0.1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0.00

NL All-Stars IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Peavy 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Penny (H, 1) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Sheets (H, 1) 1.0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Hamels (H, 1) 1.0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Young (BS, 1)(L, 0-1) 1.0 1 2 2 1 0 1 18.00
Cordero 1.0 1 1 1 0 0 1 9.00
Saito 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Wagner 1.0 2 2 2 0 1 1 18.00
Hoffman 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Pitches-strikes: Haren 39-25, Beckett 30-18, Sabathia 9-5, Verlander 21-13, Santana 10-9, Papelbon 17-14, Putz 24-14, Rodriguez 14-6, Peavy 16-9, Penny 7-5, Sheets 14-9, Hamels 10-7, Young 15-9, Cordero 15-11, Saito 13-9, Wagner 15-10, Hoffman 22-13.
Ground outs-fly outs: Haren 1-3, Beckett 2-2, Sabathia 2-1, Verlander 1-2, Santana 1-0, Papelbon 0-1, Putz 0-1, Rodriguez 0-1, Peavy 3-0, Penny 2-1, Sheets 1-2, Hamels 2-0, Young 0-3, Cordero 1-2, Saito 1-2, Wagner 1-1, Hoffman 3-0.
Batters faced: Haren 9, Beckett 7, Sabathia 4, Verlander 5, Santana 3, Papelbon 4, Putz 5, Rodriguez 3, Peavy 4, Penny 3, Sheets 5, Hamels 4, Young 5, Cordero 4, Saito 3, Wagner 5, Hoffman 4.
Inherited runners-scored: Rodriguez 1-0.
Umpires: HP: Bruce Froemming. 1B: Charlie Reliford. 2B: Mike Winters. 3B: Kerwin Danley. LF: Ted Barrett. RF: Bill Miller.
Weather: 68 degrees, overcast.
Wind: 10 mph, Out to CF.
T: 3:06.
Att: 43,965.

[KC Royals Nation]

Nine innings and eight pitchers used in the American League. No Gil Meche.

Let the outrage begin, folks!

It was, for the most part, a well-pitched evening at beautiful AT&T Park in San Francisco. Speaking of which, has anyone visited that park? It looks incredible from my HDTV at home. My father, lelandinkc, has visited that ballpark twice, but I have never been.

The American League displayed their exceptional power today, as Victor Martinez connected for a pinch-hit two-run shot. Carl Crawford hit a solo bomb. However, no A.L. All-Star shined more than Ichiro Suzuki. On the verge of receiving a five-year contract extension with the Seattle Mariners, Ichiro connected for two singles and an inside-the-park, two-run shot off San Diego pitcher Chris Young. It was the first inside-the-parker in All-Star Game history. He truly shined - that's why he'll get my A.L. Player of the Game for this game (obviously, he was official MVP) as well.

The National League All-Stars did most of their damage in the ninth inning against a suddenly vulnerable Mariners closer J.J. Putz. Ken Griffey, Jr. connected for a two-run single, and Alfonso Soriano dropped a humungous left-field bomb off of Putz. Griffey went 1-for-2, so he'll get my Player of the Game from the N.L. side.

plotty was closest on the predicted score and league winner.

I was the only person who guessed a P2C correctly - Ken Griffey, Jr. from the N.L. Side.

Interesting. I'm surprised nobody picked Ichiro to win.

[plotty]

As sad as it is, I pretty much expected that to come from Jim Leyland. He'll claim that Gil was one of the guys to be used "in extra innings"....but in honesty, he didn't want to pitch some dude that comes from a small market. He wanted to make sure that the guys from the bigger market received some playing time. What a bunch of bull. Meche deserved at least a third of an inning.

Hell, at least Dimitri Young got to see some action. It was his first All-Star game. LaRussa had that right.

[dejesus9]

It really really really ticked me off, Meche better be scheduled to pitch during the Tigers series coming up.

[gilgameche]

I am stunned La Russa did'nt have Pujols pinch hit for Rowand