American League Wins All-Star Game Again, 5-3; Mike Trout MVP

Player of the Day for July 15, 2014

2014 MLB All Star Game

The American League continued its decades-long dominance over their Nation League rivals, winning the 2014 All Star game by a 5-3 score, ensuring the the AL entrant in the World Series will have home field advantage.

Trout, MVP

The AL has won 14 of the last 18 mid-summer classics, losing three straight from 2010-2012, but now having won the last two. The 2002 exhibition ended in a 7-7 tie at Milwaukee's Miller Park.

St. Louis pitchers, Adam Wainwright and reliever Pat Nesheck were tagged for all five runs, as AL hitters savaged starter Wainwright for three first inning scores, including a double by leadoff hitter Derek Jeter, a run-scoring triple by game MVP Mike Trout of the LA Angels, and a two-run homer by Detroit's Miguel Cabrera.

The National Leaguers evened the score at 3-3 with two runs in the second inning and one more in the fourth. Milwaukee's Jonathan Lucroy doubled in both innings, driving in a run in each.

But the NL could not maintain their momentum as the second Cardinal hurler to go to the mound, Pat Nesheck allowed a pair of one-out singles by Derek Norris and Alexi Ramirez and a double by Trout to give the AL a 4-3 lead. Jose Altuve delivered a sac fly scoring Ramirez from third to complete the scoring.

Trout finished 2-for-3, with a double, triple, two RBI and a run scored. Nesheck took the loss; Detroit's Max Scherzer took the victory, giving up a double in the fifth to Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki, but holding the NL scoreless.

Minnesota's Glen Perkins pitched a perfect nine-pitch ninth for the save.

A-Rod Wins AL MVP Award

As if there was any doubt about the Most Valuable Player in the American League, New York Yankees' 3rd baseman Alex Rodriguez took the award in a nearly unanimous vote last week. Rodriguez (right) had a career year, even for a player as accomplished as him, slugging 54 home runs, driving in 156 while scoring 143 runs, all tops in the league. Rodriguez also batted a solid .314, tied for 13th in the league, and swiped 24 bases. Finishing a distant second in the voting was Detroit's Magglio Ordonez, who led the majors with a .363 batting average. Rodriguez, who opted out of a long-term contract with the Yankees during the World Series, has resumed talks with the club after testing the free agency waters on the advice of his long-time agent, Scott Boras. The Yankees are only interested in negotiating with Rodriguez and not Boras at this time though any word of a breakthrough or deal has yet to be announced.