New York — For 14 1/2 innings and more than 4 1/2 hours of the longest All-Star Game in history, Braves catcher Brian McCann did nothing more than watch from the National League dugout.

He finally entered in the bottom of the 15th inning ... and five batters later the game was over.

Michael Young hit a sacrifice fly and Justin Morneau slid in just ahead of McCann's sweep tag to give the American League an exhausting 4-3, 15-inning win against the NL in the final All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.

It lasted 4 hours, 50 minutes, ending at 1:37 a.m. Wednesday. It ended with McCann sitting in the dirt near home plate as American Leaguers whooped it up nearby to celebrate the walkoff win.

"Extremely weird," McCann said of watching all night and into the morning before he finally put on the catcher's equipment and got in the game with the clock nearing 1:30. "It's a long time sitting around, but I was just glad that I got in, glad to be a part of it.

"It was an awesome experience to be here, and a lot of good memories."

McCann was hit in the right wrist Sunday in the Braves' last game before the All-Star break, but said he felt great Tuesday - "I'm 100 percent" - and that health had nothing to do with Colorado manager Clint Hurdle's decision to keep him on the bench until the wee hours.

Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto started and played 41/2 innings. The Dodgers' Russell Martin caught the next 10 before McCann took over in the bottom of the 15th, the last unused position player on either team.

McCann said he understood Hurdle's reasoning and didn't have any problem with it.

"It's one of those things where you can't burn all the catchers, in case something happened," said McCann, who made his third consecutive All-Star team. "I was basically the guy who was going to sit until Russell couldn't go anymore or we needed a pinch-hitter."

Morneau singled against closer Brad Lidge to start the AL rally in the 15th. Dioner Navarro singled with one out and ex-Braves outfielder J.D. Drew, the All-Star Game MVP, walked to load the bases.

Young flied out to right field and Corey Hart made a poor, two-hop throw to the first-base side of the plate. McCann scooped the throw and spun around to tag Morneau, whose foot reached the plate just ahead of McCann's mitt with the ball inside.

"Real close," McCann said of the decisive play. "They said he snuck his foot in, but it was real close. You can't really argue in the All-Star Game. He made the right call."

With that, McCann hurried to finish packing his catcher's equipment bag and get to the car Chipper Jones was waiting in outside. The Braves' All-Star third baseman and McCann had a jet Jones chartered waiting at the airport to carry them back to Atlanta.