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		Fielder leads National League to victory By Jeremy Kahn July 12, 2011

	With home-field advantage on the line in the 2011 All-Star Game at Chase Field in Phoenix, a first happened for Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers. Fielder hit a three-run home run off of C.J. Wilson of the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the fourth inning that bounced off the top of the wall, and over and the National League defeated the American League 5-1 to take home field advantage for the second year in a row. The home run by Fielder was the first ever hit by a Brewers player in team history in an All-Star Game, as he was named the Most Valuable Player. This is the first time that the National League have won back-to-back All-Star Games since they won three in a row from 1994-1996, when the games were played at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, The Ballpark in Arlington, the home of the Texas Rangers and Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. Adrian Gonzalez of the Boston Red Sox gave the American League a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, as he hit a solo home run off of Cliff Lee of the Philadelphia Phillies. The American League looked to extend their lead up to 2-0 in the same top of the fourth inning, but Hunter Pence of the Houston Astros threw out Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays at the plate to end the inning. Andre Ethier of the Los Angeles Dodgers added a run for the National League in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he drove in Rickie Weeks of the Brewers; however on the play, Ethier was thrown out at second base to end the inning. Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants drove in the final run of the game, as he doubled to the opposite field to score Pence from third base. Pence advanced to third base, as Brandon League of the Seattle Mariners threw a pitch that Matt Wieters of the Baltimore Orioles could not handle for a passed ball. Heath Bell of the San Diego Padres pulled the stunt of the night, as he entered the game in the top of the eighth inning and slid to the mound a la Whit Bass in the 1994 film Angels in the Outfield. After allowing a single to Matt Joyce of the Tampa Bay Rays in the top of the ninth inning off of Joel Hanrahan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Brian Wilson, the closer for the Giants was sent in a save opportunity. Wilson was able to get Michael Cuddyer of the Minnesota Twins to flyout to Jay Bruce of the Cincinnati Reds for the second out of the inning, and then ended the game, as Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox grounded out to Starlin Castro of the cross-town Chicago Cubs to end the game. NOTES: On a local front, besides Sandoval and Wilson of the Giants playing for the National League, the lone representative from the Oakland A’s, Gio Gonzalez came on in the bottom of the eighth inning and struck out Bruce looking to end the inning. National League manager Bruce Bochy of the Giants evened his record in All-Star Games at 1-1 with the victory. Bochy was the losing manager at the 1999 All-Star Game at Fenway Park in Boston. The three other pitchers from the reigning World Champion Giants did not appear in the game, as Tim Lincecum and Ryan Vogelsong did not pitch. Matt Cain, who was also named to the team was not eligible to pitch in the game, as he pitched on Sunday night at AT&T Park against the New York Mets.