Voir 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Week - Episode 4

July 10, 2007 -- Given the distinct San Francisco flavor that emerged Tuesday night at AT and 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. From the paths batted balls took to the behavior the record crowd exhibited, the bayside ballpark's character was evident as the American League outlasted the National League, 5-4. An inside-the-park home run by Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki and conventional homers by Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford and Cleveland's Victor Martinez helped extend the AL's unbeaten streak to 11 games -- 10 victories and one tie in 2002 -- and gave the Junior Circuit a 16-3-1 record in the last 20 All-Star Games. The AL also gained home-field advantage for this year's World Series, although Minnesota center fielder Torii Hunter claimed that this was an afterthought. "We're competitors," Hunter said. "You didn't have to put the World Series on the end of that. We're going to play hard anyway." The NL shared that sentiment. Trailing, 5-2, the NL roused itself with two outs in the ninth inning as Washington's Dmitri Young singled off Baltimore second baseman Brian Roberts' glove. Then Alfonso Soriano of the Cubs homered off Seattle's J.J. Putz, generating momentum that soared as three walks loaded the bases. But Francisco Rodriguez of the Angels, who issued the last two of those walks, coaxed a harmless fly to right field from Philadelphia's Aaron Rowand to seal the AL's second one-run victory in a row and third in the last five years.