PHOENIX – After going 13 years without an All-Star game win, the National League has a two-game winning streak in the Midsummer Classic.
Prince Fielder’s three-run homer in the fourth inning turned a 1-0 deficit into a lead the NL wouldn’t relinquish in a 5-1 win over the American League in the All-Star game Tuesday night at Chase Field.
The win secures home-field advantage for the NL in the World Series, as did last year's 3-1 NL win fueled by Brian McCann's three-run double.
"If we are fortunate enough to get into the World Series, I think that obviously is going to help us a ton," said Fielder, whose Brewers are in a first-place tie with St. Louis in the NL Central. "So, yeah, it's awesome. We won the MVP and we get to have home-field advantage."
Braves pitchers Jair Jurrjens, Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters pitched in succession in the sixth through eighth innings, Jurrjens getting the first five outs of that stretch and Venters the first two in the eighth on four pitches.
The AL used a hit and two errors to put two runners in scoring position in the ninth inning against Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan, before Giants closer Brian Wilson came on to get the final two outs on a flyball and a groundout.
“That’s big," McCann said of winning home-field advantage. "We want to win a lot more. It was over there [with the AL] for a long time, and we hope to keep the home-field advantage on the National League side for awhile.”
McCann started for the first time in his sixth All-Star game, and went 0-for-2 in four innings. He was out before the Braves' pitchers got in, and McCann’s highlight was a strong play to block the plate for the third out in the fourth.
The Braves’ pitching trio, all first-time All-Stars, combined for 2 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit, one walk and two strikeouts.
“It was an exciting," said Venters, who recorded two outs on just four pitches, including a strikeout. "For us to all go in there back-to-back-to-back was pretty cool. I was nervous and excited. It’s something I’ll never forget.”
Philadelphia ace Roy Halladay was perfect in the first two innings, but Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee gave up an Adrian Gonzalez homer in the fourth for the AL’s brief 1-0 lead.
Fielder homered off Rangers lefty C.J. Wilson in the bottom of the fourth for a 3-1 lead.
Jurrjens, the NL leader in wins and ERA, allowed one hit with one strikeout in 1 2/3 innings. He faced six batters and threw 15 strikes in 23 pitches.
After pitching a perfect sixth, he retired the first two batters in the seventh before Kevin Youkilis singled to left-center. NL manager Bruce Bochy called on Kimbrel to replace his Braves teammate and face Paul Konerko with two out.
Kimbrel walked Konerko on seven pitches (the last three were balls), then induced a groundout by Howie Kendrick to strand two runners.
“Anytime you can go in and not give up the guy’s run who is in front of you, it’s a successful inning," said Kimbrel, whose majors-leading 28 saves are the most ever for a rookie before the All-Star break. "
“I don’t think you could have drawn it up any more perfect than for us to throw back-to-back-to-back like that. It was fun.”
Venters started the eighth and got former Georgia Tech standout Matt Wieters on a first-pitch groundout before striking out Jacoby Ellsbury on three pitches.
“I was nervous," Venters said. "Fortunately Matt Weiters swung at the first pitch. I was able to breathe a little bit. It was so exciting. A special thing to be a part of.
"And to be able to get home-field advantage for the National League was huge.”
Although Venters had thrown just four pitches -- all strikes -- Bochy brought in Padres closer Heath Bell to get the third out in the eighth.
"I wasn’t out there not expecting to finish the inning," Venters said. "But I kind of figured with a righty coming up, he might bring in one of those horses from the bullpen.”
Bochy replaced McCann in the fifth with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina. Batting fifth in the order in his first All-Star start, McCann flied out foul in the second inning and popped out foul to third base in the fourth.
McCann was MVP of the 2010 All-Star game, after coming off the bench to replace Molina and hitting a bases-clearing double to break the AL’s 13-year All-Star stranglehold.
Bochy had three catchers on this year’s NL team, including Arizona’s Miguel Montero. McCann wasn't upset about not getting to catch the Braves' pitchers.
“No disappointment at all," he said. "I got to catch Clff Lee and Roy Halladay. These things, you sit back and enjoy it – I had a better seat to watch [the rest of the game], no pressure on me, getting to watch Kimbrel and Jonny and J.J. do what they do. It was almost better to be in the dugout, because I never get that perspective, listening to what guys are saying about them.
"I’m proud that everyone came in and put up zeroes.”
McCann and left fielder Hunter Pence combined on one of the game’s best plays, when Pence threw out Jose Bautista trying to score from second on Adrian Beltre’s two-out single in the fourth. McCann blocked the plate, fielded the one-hop throw and applied the tag as Bautista slid into his feet.
“It was Hunter Pence. I didn’t really do anything," McCann said. "Just caught it and tagged.”
Fielder’s homer in the bottom of the fourth gave the NL a two-run lead, and Andre Ethier’s two-out single in the fifth pushed the lead to 4-1.
"It's hard to beat great pitching and a three-run homer," Bochy said.
