All Star Game Recap: NL Finally Wins It
The National League won the All Star Game for the first time since 1996, a year where the game was played at Veterans Stadium and Ricky Botallico was the Phillies only representative. Charlie Manuel led the 2010 NL All Stars to a 3-1 victory over the star studded American League.
Ubaldo Jiminez and Josh Johnson each pitched two superb innings. The American League scored their lone, unearned run against Hong-Chih Kuo.
Aggressive base-running by Scott Rolen eventually paid off. Brian McCann provided the knock with a three-run double with two outs in the seventh. Phillies fans have seen this so many times from McCann, so it was different being on the other side of a McCann clutch hit. McCann was ultimately named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Ryan Howard served as the designated hitter for the National League. He went 0-for-2 with a strikeout against David Price. Howard also grounded out.
Roy Halladay pitched 2/3 of an inning, allowing two hits and striking out one. Manuel may have misused him in the situation. Instead of bringing Halladay in earlier, Kuo was brought in. Halladay was forced to warm up twice.
Jonathan Broxton closed the doors to secure home field advantage for the National League. Overall, it was a well-played game. In the year of the pitcher, it was only fitting that the All Star Game was dominated by brilliant pitching performances.
