ANAHEIM—The National League,which used to dominate the All Star Game,broke through to beat the American League 3-1 for their first win since 1996,and earning Home Field Advantage in the World Series for the first time since this crazy rule was put into place in 2003. The NL won it thanks to a three run rally with two outs in the top of the seventh which featured a battle between the Cubs Marlon Byrd and the White Sox Matt Thornton, and a clutch bases clearing double by the Braves Brian McCann. Byrd also made a big defensive play to help kill a possible AL ninth inning rally try. After David Price retired the National League in order in the top of the first, Ubaldo Jimenez got in and out of trouble in the home half of that inning. With one out, Derek Jeter walked and took third on a single to right center by Miguel Cabrera,but Josh Hamilton hit a come back smash that Jimenez speared and turned into an inning ending double play.Brewers LF Ryan Braun robbed Hamilton of at least a single with a great diving catch in the bottom of the fourth.After a quiet first four innings,the NL got a lead off single by David Wright off Justin Verlander who then stole second.Braun fanned, but the Dodgers Andre Ethier singled to RF as Wright stopped at third.Corey Hart also struck out,unable to check his swing.Brian McCann batted for Yadier Molina and fanned on a 3-2 pitch. The first Chicago appearance in this game occurred when Byrd went into CF in the bottom of the 5th.The first real break of this game happened in the AL 5th when Evan Longoria walked against Hong-Chih Kuo. Joe Mauer then hit a roller back to Kuo who fielded it.but then he air mailed his throw way over Adrian Gonzalez’s head down the RF line. Longoria advanced to 3B and Mauer took second on the error. Robinson Cano then lifted a deep fly to Matt Holliday in LF to score Longoria with the game’s first run.Carl Crawford bounced on to Ramirez at SS and Mauer,trying to advance was gunned down easily at third for the second out. Heath Bell relieved Kuo and home town favorite Torii Hunter,in his first at bat of the night flew out to RF just after Crawford stole second on Bell’s second pitch,so the AL settled for a 1-0 lead.In the AL 6th,Derek Jeter blooped a single to CF,and Paul Konerko batted for Cabrera and fanned against Roy Halladay and McCann picked pinch runner Elvin Andrus off second to complete an unusual double play.Hamilton smacked a two out single to RF and Home Run Derby champ David Ortiz batted for Vlad Guerrero. Matt Capps relieved Halladay and got “Big Papi” on a called third strike. The National League broke though in the top of the seventh against the Yankees Phil Hughes.With one out,Scott Rolen and Matt Holliday each singled. Rolen took third and the Sox Thornton relieved Hughes as Chris Young batted for Ethier and fouled out to Konerko. Now Byrd,after falling behind 0-2,worked the count full and drew a key walk from Thornton in a rare All-Chicago All Star battle to load the bases for McCann who ripped a line double into the left field corner to clear the bases and give the National League the lead for good 3-1.Andrew Bailey of Oakland relieved Thronton and after walking Rafael Furcal,he fanned Brandon Phillips to end the rally.Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals relieved Capps and got out of a two on,one out jam by getting Vernon Wells to hit into a force at second and then fanned Hunter to leave runners at the corners.In the bottom of the eighth, with one out against SF’s Brian Wilson, Konerko bounced to third. In the top of the ninth,Jose Valverde fanned the first two he faced,then got Bryd on a 3-2 pitch. Jonathan Broxton on the nearby Dodgers started the 9th.Ortiz lined a single to RF, Adrian Beltre fanned, John Buck hit a blooper just in front on Byrd in right,but he fielded it on the hop and gunned a throw to Furcal to force Ortiz who had not been lifted for a pinch runner.Ian Kinsler then flew to CF to end the NL’s long dry spell in the Mid-Summer Classic.

NOTES—The sellout crowd was 45,408……Former Angel(and Twin)Rod Carew threw out the first ball…..When Derrick Jeter came to bat in the bottom of the first,they played a tape of the late Yankee P.A. Announcer Bob Sheppard introducing Jeter at the All Star Game in Old Yankee Stadium two years ago…..A moment of silence was held in memory of Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner who passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 80…..The last time the National League won an All Star Game was July 9,2006 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia 6-0. The last time the NL won in an American League park was at The Ballpark at Arlington on July 11,1995 by a 3-2 score….Capps got the win for the NL and Broxton the save while Hughes took the defeat…..Thornton was not the pitcher of record,but he did get a blown save…..The NL now has won two of the three All Star Games played here in Anaheim.

LES