The annual iMLB All-Star game is supposed to feature some of the best players from each league duking it out to try and prove which league superior to the other.
This year, however, the only guys who showed up to play, it seemed, were the pitchers. The National League All-Stars topped the American League's best by a score of 2-1.
Both NL runs were scored in the top of the fourth inning. Prince Fielder led of the inning with a walk against iMLB saves leader Frank Francisco. Hot-hitting Rockies outfielder scorched a line drive over the shortstop's head to move Fielder to second and put runners on second and third.
Francisco's disastrous inning continued when he walked Mets outfielder Milton Bradley and packed the bases full with no outs. He got a dream out when Pirates outfielder Nate McLouth popped out in foul territory.
With back-to-back Padres coming up, and plenty of guys still left in the bullpen, Rangers manager Kevin Foley decided to stick with his guy against second baseman Matt Antonelli of San Diego. That proved to be a bad decision when Francisco issued his third walk of the inning, bringing home Fielder.
Padres outfielder Chase Headley proceeded to fly out to right field, but with the speedy Gonzalez on third base now instead of the hefty Fielder, it was an easy tag-up score. Francisco induced a groudout from Mets shortstop Jose Reyes to end the threat.
The AL got on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning when smooth-hitting Rangers third baseman Justin Smoak drew a one-out walk off of the Pirates' Johnathon Sanchez. Mike Moustakas, the Royals young third baseman who was the American League's designated hitter for the game, singled up the middle to push Smoak to second.
After a Matt LaPorta strikeout, Blake DeWitt, who just recently switched to the American League, reached on an error by Alex Gordon, and that brought Smoak all the way home, and moved Moustakas to third. Detroit shortstop Chris Iorg struck out to end the inning, and the scoring in the game.
After Sanchez's brief hiccup, Matt Capps and Francisco Rodriguez combined to shut down the AL for the last two innings.
The battle for the MVP trophy was between Ervin Santana and Roy Halladay. Santana won it in the game with 2 innings pitches and a strikeout, but the loud chorus of boo's indicated that the fans, and many pundits after the game, showered on Santana indicated that they thought Halladay, who pitched two innings also, had two strikeouts and was on the winning team, should've won.
The least valuable player goes to Frankie Francisco and his three walks, one hit and two runs in one inning pitched. Blake DeWitt gave him a run for his money however. Even though he collected the AL's only RBI, it was on an Alex Gordon error, and DeWitt left three runners in scoring position throughout his 0-for-4 game as the AL's second baseman.
Moustakas and Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer were the only players in the game to record more than one hit, as both of them collected a single and a double.