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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Giants Cabrera, Sandoval, Cain key N.L. romp over A.L.

Ronald Blum Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Pablo Sandoval and Melky Cabrera turned the All-Star game into a Giant blowout.

Flashing their bright orange spikes and booming bats, the San Francisco sluggers keyed a five-run blitz against Justin Verlander in the first inning that sent the National League to an 8-0 romp over the American League on Tuesday night.

Cabrera homered and won the MVP award, and Giants teammate Matt Cain started a strong pitching performance for the N.L. in its most-lopsided All-Star victory. Cain combined with Stephen Strasburg, R.A. Dickey, Aroldis Chapman and the rest of a lights-out staff on a six-hitter.

“San Francisco Giants show,” Matt Kemp of the rival Dodgers said during the game.

Ryan Braun, an All-Star again after his drug suspension was overturned last winter, doubled, tripled and made a fine catch in the outfield to help give the N.L. its first three-game winning streak in two decades.

Chipper Jones singled in his final All-Star at-bat at age 40 as the N.L., under retired manager Tony La Russa, again claimed home-field advantage in the World Series.

Teen sensation Bryce Harper had a shaky All-Star debut. Fellow rookie Mike Trout, only 20, showed off his dynamic skills.

The game was all but decided a few moments after it started.

Sandoval hit the first bases-loaded triple in All-Star history off Verlander, who couldn’t control his 100 mph heat. Cabrera singled and scored the first run, then hit a two-run homer against Matt Harrison in a three-run fourth.

“I don’t get many triples,” said the slow-footed Sandoval, known as Kung Fu Panda. “We had some fun with that in the dugout.”

Cabrera was flanked by his mom as he received his award.

“I was surprised for me, the MVP, but thank you, the fans,” he said.

San Francisco fans, who made a late voting push to elect Sandoval and Cabrera to starting spots, might appreciate the victory come October. The Giants are a half-game behind the first-place Dodgers in the N.L. West.

Rafael Furcal also tripled, making the N.L. the first league with three in an All-Star game.

As the All-Stars returned to Kansas City for the first time since 1973, La Russa bid a fond farewell to the national stage in the city where he played for his first major league team.

Having retired after managing St. Louis to last year’s World Series title, La Russa became just the fourth inactive manager to skipper an All-Star team and improved to 4-2.

“Just lucky, like I’ve been 30 years,” La Russa said.

The N.L. boosted its advantage to 43-38-2 and won for just the third time in the 10 years the All-Star game has been used to determine home-field advantage in the World Series. La Russa’s Cardinals benefited from last year’s N.L. All-Star victory, with St. Louis winning Games 6 and 7 at home against Ron Washington’s Texas Rangers.

Jones, retiring at the end of the season, also had one last All-Star moment, pinch hitting in the sixth and singling just past second baseman Ian Kinsler and into right field. Jones chuckled as the ball rolled through.

Harper, at 19 the youngest position player in All-Star history, had a shaky start when he entered in the fifth. The heralded rookie, wearing shiny gold shoes, didn’t flash a Gold Glove and lost Mike Napoli’s routine fly to left in the lights, allowing it to drop behind him for a single. He then caught Kinsler’s bases-loaded flyball to end the inning, earning cheers from the crowd of 40,933 at Kauffman Stadium, spruced up by a $250 million renovation that was completed three years ago.

Harper did draw a walk and tagged up on a long fly, but later got himself hung up in a rundown and tagged out.

Trout, among a record five All-Star rookies, had a nice showing against two different pitchers. The Angels outfielder singled and stole a base against Dickey’s knuckleball, then drew a walk against Chapman and his 101 mph heat.

“I’m going to remember this the rest of my life,” Trout said.

Cain pitched the 22nd perfect game in big league history last month.

He didn’t have to be perfect in this one, allowing one hit in two innings for the win.

“For those guys to go out and score five runs in the first inning was definitely a little more relaxing for me,” he said. “But I still tried to stay focused.”

Cain was followed by 10 relievers, with Jonathan Papelbon getting the last out with a runner on third base.

Not since Game 7 of Kansas City’s 1985 World Series over the Cardinals had the baseball world descended on the Royals’ ballpark, a rare 1970s beauty known for its 322-foot-wide fountain in right and the 105-foot-high scoreboard topped by a crown.

Cabrera, a former Yankee and Royal, singled with one out in the first and scored on a double to deep right by Braun, the reigning N.L. MVP.

Verlander threw six straight balls during consecutive two-out walks to Carlos Beltran and Buster Posey. Sandoval sent a drive off the base of the wall in the right-field corner for a 4-0 lead.

He scored when Dan Uggla grounded to the shortstop hole and first baseman Prince Fielder failed to come up with Derek Jeter’s one-hop throw, leaving Uggla with an infield hit.

After Furcal tripled to right, pinch-hitter Matt Holliday singled for a 6-0 lead. Cabrera followed with a drive into the left-field bullpen.

N.L. All-Stars 8, A.L. All-Stars 0

N.L. AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
C.Gonzalez dh 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000
a-Holliday ph-dh 1 1 1 1 0 0 1.000
e-C.Jones ph-dh 1 0 1 0 0 0 1.000
h-Bourn ph-dh 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Me.Cabrera cf 3 2 2 2 0 0 .667
A.McCutchen cf 2 0 1 0 0 0 .500
Braun lf 3 1 2 1 0 0 .667
Bruce rf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Votto 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Freese 1b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000
LaHair 1b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Beltran rf 1 1 0 0 1 0 .000
b-Harper ph-lf 1 0 0 0 1 1 .000
Posey c 2 1 0 0 1 0 .000
Ruiz c 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Sandoval 3b 2 1 1 3 0 0 .500
D.Wright 3b 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Uggla 2b 3 0 1 1 0 0 .333
Altuve 2b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Furcal ss 3 1 1 0 0 0 .333
g-S.Castro ph-ss 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Totals 37 8 10 8 3 6
A.L. AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Jeter ss 2 0 1 0 0 0 .500
c-A.Cabrera ph-ss 1 0 0 0 1 1 .000
Cano 2b 2 0 1 0 0 0 .500
d-Kinsler ph-2b 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Hamilton lf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Trout lf 1 0 1 0 1 0 1.000
Bautista rf 1 0 0 0 1 1 .000
Trumbo rf 2 0 0 0 0 2 .000
Fielder 1b 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Konerko 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 —-
Mauer 1b 1 0 1 0 0 0 1.000
Beltre 3b 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Mi.Cabrera 3b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Andrus 3b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Ortiz dh 2 0 1 0 0 0 .500
f-Butler ph-dh 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Napoli c 2 0 1 0 0 1 .500
Wieters c 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Granderson cf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Ad.Jones cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Totals 31 0 6 0 3 7
N.L. 500 300 000—8 10 0
A.L. 000 000 000—0 6 0

b-walked for Beltran in the 5th. c-walked for Jeter in the 5th. d-flied out for Cano in the 5th. g-flied out for Furcal in the 8th.

LOB—N.L. 5, A.L. 8. 2B—Braun. 3B—Braun, Sandoval, Furcal. HR—Me.Cabrera, off M.Harrison. RBIs—Holliday, Me.Cabrera 2, Braun, Sandoval 3, Uggla. SB—Trout. RlSP—N.L. 2 (Votto, Freese); A.L. 5 (Kinsler 2, Mi.Cabrera, Trumbo, Wieters). RISP—N.L. 3 for 8; A.L. 0 for 7.

Runners moved up—Posey, Granderson. GIDP—Hamilton, Mi.Cabrera.

DP—N.L. 2 (Furcal, Votto), (Furcal, Altuve, Freese).

N.L. IP H R ER BB SO NP
M.Cain W 2 1 0 0 0 1 29
G.Gonzalez 1 0 0 0 0 1 11
Strasburg 1 1 0 0 1 0 17
Kershaw 1 2 0 0 1 0 27
Dickey 1 1 0 0 0 1 15
Hamels 1 0 0 0 0 0 14
Kimbrel 2/3 0 0 0 0 2 7
Chapman 1/3 0 0 0 1 1 12
Miley 1/3 1 0 0 0 0 11
Hanrahan 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 8
Papelbon 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 3
A.L. IP H R ER BB SO NP
Verlander L 1 4 5 5 2 2 35
Nathan 1 0 0 0 0 0 8
Price 1 0 0 0 0 0 7
M.Harrison 1 4 3 3 0 0 20
Weaver 1 0 0 0 1 0 15
Sale 1 2 0 0 0 1 13
R.Cook 1 0 0 0 0 2 11
Ji.Johnson 1 0 0 0 0 1 11
Rodney 1 0 0 0 0 0 12

IR-S—Hanrahan 1-0, Papelbon 1-0. HBP—by Dickey (Konerko). WP—Hanrahan. T—2:59. A—40,933 (37,903).