Beltran and Nady slug-fest do in American Leaguers in All-Star Game

The National League All-Stars behind the big bats of Carlos Beltran and Xavier Nady dismantled the American League All-Stars by slugging 5 home runs combined and defeating the American League All-Stars by a score of 17-1. The National League All-Stars managed by Gladiators manger Kevin Hitt said, "I have never seen a display like this in All-Star history. These guys were hot and facing the best pitching in the league."
 

Scott Kazmir got the start against Halo's ace Johan Santana. Kazmir struck out Hanley Ramirez to start the game then issued two consecutive walks to Joe Mauer and Travis Hafner. Kazmir then got Manny Ramirez to line out to third and struck out Jermaine Dye to get out of trouble.

Santana looked to be in control of the game early by striking out Gary Matthews and Jason Bay, before giving up a single to Albert Pujols. Santana got Michael Barret to ground out getting Pujols on a fielder's choice. The flood gates would open up for the National League after this...

Kazmir would retire the side in order in the top of the second inning and then watch as Nady hit a two run homerun scoring Chase Utley who pinch ran after Jeff Kent reached on an error by Hafner.

Roy Oswalt took the mound in the top of third allowing the only run the American League All-Stars would score. Joe Crede took an Oswalt 0-2 pitch deep to left that just curled inside the foul pole. After Mauer singled, Oswalt got Hafner to fly out to centerfield, and then walked Manny Ramirez on 5 pitches. Lance Berkman then came in to pinch hit for Matt Holiday who had struck out against Kazmir in the 1st. Oswalt struck Berkman out in a huge clutch situation to keep the National League on top.

Brandon Webb would get pounded by the NL All-Stars without recording an out. Matthews singled to center field which brought up Beltran. Beltran crushed a Webb pitch deep into the right field bleachers putting the NL All-Stars up 4-1. Webb walked Pujols, then saw Michaal Barrett double to the gap in left-center field, scoring Pujols. Webb got the hook as Manager Rocky Hall went to Fransisco Liriano. Liriano's first pitch was wild moving Barrett to third. Utley hit an infield single scoring Barrett. Liriano then got Garret Atkins to ground into a double play, before facing Nady with two out. Nady then took Liriano deep for his second homerun of the game, "To hit one homerun in the All-Star game was a highlight of my career, I never thought I'd hit two."

The home town then got to see their very own Jake Peavy come in and shut down Dye, Guerrero, and Uggla in order in the top of the 4th.

Liriano struck out David Wright for the 1st out in the bottom of the 4th, but would give way to Joel Zumaya after giving up a line-drive single to right field by Carl Crawford. Up steps Beltran who already had one homerun. Beltran took a fastball deep into the right field bleachers to hit his second of the day, picking up two RBI's. "After watchings the "X" man get his two, I just went up there thinking, get a good pitch to drive." That would be Beltran's 2nd homer and 4th RBI of the game. Zumaya would then get Pujols to pop up to first and Barrett to ground out to first.

The NL's Barry Zito, following the trend set by his teammates, would sit down the AL in order getting Rivera, and both Ramirez'.

C.C. Sabathia would be Hall's next pitcher for the bottom of the 5th. Sabathia quickly got in trouble after Utley singled and Robinson Cano walked. Xavier Nady bidding for his third homerun would have to settle for an RBI single instead, scoring Utley from 2nd Base. David Wright would then double down the third base line scoring Nady. After Sabathia walked Carl Crawford to load the bases, Joe Nathan came out of the pen to try and shut down this hot offense. Didn't happen! With the bases loaded Pujols takes a 1-0 pitch down the 3rd base line for a double clearing the bases. Davis Ross comes in to pinch-hit for Barrett and is struck out by Nathan. By that time the score is 14-1.

In the top of the 7th Justin Verlander came in and struck out McCann and Berkman while Ramirez grounded out to first.

The bottom of the 6th saw the NL All-Stars get two more runs off the AL's Chris Ray because of a Ray miscue and a single by Renteria coupled with a Sacrifice fly by Scott Rolen 16-1 National League.

The top of the 7th saw the AL try to mount a rally after Garret Anderson doubled of off the NL's Fransisco Cordero with one out. AL Manager Rocky Hall then brought in "Big Papi" to try and get something started. Cordero was lifted for Ramon Vazquez who got Ortiz to fly out and Rivera to pop out to the catcher.

The bottom of the 7th would see a historic moment in Thunder Bay Baseball history as Carlos Beltran took Roy Halladay's first pitch even further than the last two to the right field bleachers for homerun number 3. Carlos Beltran couldn't believe it himself saying, "I didn't even try to hit that third homerun. It just came right off the bat. I knew it when I hit it." After that historic blast, Halladay would get Morneau, Ross and Utley in order.

Akinori Otsuka would come for the NL All-Stars in the top of the 8th getting both Tejada and Ramirez before giving up a single to McCann. Otsuka then got Manny Ramirez to ground into a fielder's choice ending the inning.

The 8th inning would be one of two innings in which the NL All-Stars wouldn't score. Mariano Rivera would be the only AL pitcher not to give up any runs earned or otherwise. Rivera gave up a single to the first batter he faced in Cano, but then got LaRoche, Renteria, and Rolen in order to save an inning with no runs scored.

The top of the 9th came and went with no sense of urgency as BJ Ryan and Jonathan Papelbon shut down the Al All-Stars in the ninth.

Unbelievable hitting, couple with virtually un-hittable pitching spelled doom for the AL All-Stars. The NL All-Star pitching staff gave up an incredibly stingy 5 hits over the course of 9 innings. Looks like revenge might be in order for next year's mid-summer classic.

The MVP Award was split between Carlos Beltran and Xavier Nady

Click here for the box score.