AL Takes The Win At This Years MLB All Star Game

The All-Star Game said goodbye to Yankee Stadium Tuesday night. It was a long, long, long goodbye.

By the time it ended, at 1:37 Wednesday morning, the Stadium was half-empty, a stark contrast to earlier Tuesday, when a packed house paid tribute to baseball's cathedral with a cavalcade of stars - past and present - on display.

Fifteen innings and four hours and 50 minutes later, the American League did what it always does - it won the game. Michael Young's sac fly brought home Justin Morneau - barely - with the winning run of a 4-3 marathon.

"It seemed like the Stadium didn't want it to end," said Derek Jeter, who stuck around for all 15 innings while Yankee teammate Alex Rodriguez left the Stadium shortly after coming out of the game in the fifth. "That's what me and Mo were talking about."

The win came just in time as both teams were down to their last pitchers.

As a matter of fact, NL skipper Clint Hurdle actually told Mets' third baseman David Wright (who was in the DH spot) he might need him to pitch if the game went on much longer.

Asked how Met owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon would react if he were to pitch, Wright said, "I just hope that they were asleep."

It would be hard to blame them if they were, as the game, at times, seemed as if it would never end, with the American League failing to win it in the 10th despite loading the bases with no outs.

Boston's J.D. Drew, one of seven Red Sox on the AL squad, was named the MVP, even though he didn't enter the contest until the sixth inning. Drew was actually cheered, but his Boston teammate Jonathan Papelbon was vilified when he entered in the eighth for suggesting on Monday that he - and not Mariano Rivera - should close the game.

Drew went 2-for-4 with a home run, stolen base and a walk that loaded the bases in the 15th inning.

That's when Young came up and lofted a fly to right fielder Corey Hart, whose throw barely nailed Morneau.

"I was just praying at that point. I think if I had popped it up to second, he was still taking off for home," said Young.

The game may have ended after nine had Billy Wagner not blown a one-run lead for the NL in the eighth - giving up an RBI double to Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria - but thanks to a shaky outing from the Met closer, the teams played seven more innings.

Wagner wasn't the only star to struggle Tuesday night.

Dan Uggla made an All-Star record three errors, doing his best to hand the AL the victory, but the Junior Circuit resembled the Yankees with runners in scoring position, missing out on opportunities in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings before finally coming through in the 15th.

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damn this was a long game.... i fell asleep in the 15th inning; hahah.
Whoever thinks baseball is boring