Suzuki gives AL victory in All-Star tie
SAN FRANCISCO: The first inside-the-park home run in All-Star Game history from Ichiro Suzuki helped the American League beat the National League 5-4 in the annual Major League showcase on Tuesday.
The AL withstood a two-run home run by Alfonso Soriano of the Chicago Cubs and then three straight walks with two out in the bottom of the ninth before Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez got Aaron Rowand of the Phillies to fly out to right to end the game.
The victory gives the American League representative in the 2007 World Series the extra home game in the best-of-seven series, and was the AL's 10th consecutive win since 1996 (the 2002 event was tied).
Suzuki, the Japanese import starring for the Seattle Mariners, went 3-for-3 with the two-run inside-the-park homer.
"It's one that I'll never forget," Suzuki said through an interpreter. "The past six years, I never had an All Star (Game) that I really thought I gave it my all or was able to give it my all. So I'm really happy."
His home run came as the AL trailed 1-0 in the fifth inning, a shot to deep right-center that hit the wall and bounced past Cincinnati Reds right fielder Ken Griffey Jr., who was heading toward centerfield as the ball kicked back.
Suzuki won the Ted Williams Award as the game's Most Valuable Player.
"When I first hit it, I thought I hit it out of here but it ended up being an inside-the-park home run," Suzuki said, as he accepted the trophy from MLB commissioner Bud Selig. Suzuki said it was the first inside-the-park home run he had ever hit.
Carl Crawford of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Victor Martinez of the Cleveland Indians hit conventional homers for the AL, while Griffey drove in two NL runs and also threw Alex Rodriguez out at the plate in the fourth inning.
AL manager Jim Leyland said he was surprised by Suzuki's power in batting practice, which carried through to a dramatic game in which the NL team nearly snapped the American League's long All-Star win streak.
"I don't think we dominated tonight," said Leyland, the manager of the Detroit Tigers, last year's AL champs.
Boston Red Sox ace Josh Beckett pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory, while Chris Young of the San Diego Padres was the losing pitcher and Rodriguez earned the save, despite walking two of the three batters he faced.
Agencies
(China Daily 07/12/2007 page23)
