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NL ends AL “curse”
By Pearl Allison Lo July 13, 2010 |
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With two outs, Brian McCann’s one hit changed the game and gave the NL its’ first win over the AL since 1996, 3-1. Scott Rolen made it to third from first on a shallow outfield hit with Torii Hunter throwing the ball in the top of the seventh. Matt Thornton then came in to pitch and Chris Young came in to pinch-hit, with Thornton nabbing the second out. However, Thornton then gave up a walk to Marlon Byrd to load the bases and Brian McCann hammered Thornton’s pitch into right field to score all his teammates, giving the NL a sudden 3-1 lead. Andrew Bailey then came out in relief to walk Rafael Furcal. However, Bailey recovered by striking out Brandon Phillips to end the threat. Each had a good chance to score with runners on third, but the pitchers in each case were able to get out of the jam left-handed, but the AL had more chances. With one out, Ubaldo Jimenez’s ball nearly hit Derek Jeter on a 2-0 pitch and two pitches later, Jeter walked to first in the bottom of the first. Miguel Cabrera then hit a flare to get on base, with Jeter going to third. However, Jimenez handled the situation with no sweat, getting Josh Hamilton to return the ball to him on an 0-2 pitch and delivering the double play. Robinson Cano had difficulty with David Wright’s ball as Wright got on base with one out in the top of the second. Former Angel Vladimir Guerrero struck out in his first at-bat in the bottom of the second. The next batter, Evan Longoria, hit a double. Another inside pitch ran too close to comfort to Jeter in the third. This time, the ball was delivered by Josh Johnson. Eventually, Johnson struck out Jeter for his second strikeout that inning. Pujols struck out in the fourth and Hamilton went 0-2 on a stretching dive by Ryan Braun to rob Hamilton before the ball hit the ground.. In the top of the fifth, Wright got his second single, this a leadoff one and stole second during Braun’s at-bat. Wright could have advanced to third, had he noticed the height of Joe Mauer’s throw. Justin Verlander ended Braun’s at-bat with a strikeout. Andre Ethier then got a single with Wright stopped at third and Verlander got Corey Hart with his second crucial strikeout. McCann then came in to pinch hit, but lined out at the warning track to end the inning. Longoria nabbed a leadoff walk against Hong-Chih Kuo in the bottom of the fifth. Kuo then, on a dribbler by Mauer, overthrew Adrian Gonzalez at first base, to give the American League their best chance to score so far, with runners on the corner and no outs. Everything then came through for the AL as Cano hit a flyball to the warning track to bring in Longoria and give the AL first blood, 1-0. In the sixth, Byrd almost got to Jeter’s ball in the outfield, but missed. Simultaneously then, Paul Konerko struck out and Elvis Andrus who was trying to steal second, was tagged out as his foot left the bag. It seemed like the AL would come back with at least one run in the bottom of the seventh. With St. Louis Cardinal Adam Wainwright pitching in the bottom, the ball went in and out of teammate Matt Holliday’s glove, to give John Buck a double with one out. Wainwright then walked Ian Kinsler. However, one out later, Wainwright got hometown Hunter on a strikeout to end any hope of a rally in the inning. Jonathan Broxton came out to pitch the bottom of the ninth and gave up a leadoff single to David Ortiz. Buck swung at a 3-0 pitch one out later to make the count 3-1 and then 3-2. He then hit a ball that dropped right in front of Byrd. Byrd, who was alert, threw right to second, in time to get Ortiz at second and Kinsler provided the final out with a flyout. |
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