American League All-Stars down National League to clinch home field advantage

The 2015 Major League All-Star game wrapped with Mike Trout and the American League defeating the National League squad by the final score of 6-3 to clinch home-field advantage in this year’s World Series. Wherever that may be.

Hopefully, it’s in Chicago at Wrigley Field, but the Cubs are going to have to catch both the second-place Pittsburgh Pirates and first-place St. Louis Cardinals in the N.L. Central. Speaking of which, outfielder Andrew McCutchen brought the N.L. within one with a first-pitch solo bomb to left field while shortstop and possible MVP candidate, Jhonny Peralta, evened things up at one apiece with an RBI single early in the game.

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As we all know, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant were the only Cubs who made the cut this year. While both were eliminated in the first round of the Home Run Derby on Monday – Bryant was the only member of the team who reached base safely by putting together a six-pitch walk with New York Yankees’ hurler Dellin Betances on the mound during the bottom half of the seventh inning.

The two would combine 0-for-3 with a walk prior to being replaced. Instead of making an appearance manning the hot corner, Kris found himself out in left field for the fourth time in his big league career when Joc Pederson was pulled from the game.

Of course, the man of the night would be none other than Trout. In his fourth All-Star appearance for the Los Angeles Angels, the young star completed a four-year cycle.

In each of his first at-bats during the All-Star game, Trout has recorded a single, double, triple and then the home run off Zack Greinke in the first inning of the ballgame.

There’s a reason why the Angels pay this kid a bunch of money and could be an All-Star every year until he decides to call it a career. That may very well end up being 20 or so years from now – who knows?

With the second half of the season beginning on Thursday, the Cubs will roll into Atlanta to take on the Braves in a three-game set before returning to Cincinnati to visit Todd Frazier and the Reds for four more.

Here’s more from around the league:

‘Houston Astros: Dallas Keuchel set the tone for the A.L. All-Stars‘ – Climbing Tal’s Hill

‘Chicago Cubs News: Bryant, Rizzo setting tone for the future‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘AL wins World Series home-field advantage, 6-3‘ – Motor City Bengals

‘Tampa Bay Rays: Chris Archer amped up in All-Star Game‘ – Rays Colored Glasses

‘MLB All-Star Break: 5 Things we’ve learned at midway mark‘ – Call To The Pen

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