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Young’s sacrifice fly wins All-Star marathon for AL

American League All-Star Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins hits a double in the eigth inning during the All-Star game in New York on Tuesday. PHOTO: AFP

Michael Young drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 15th inning, giving the American League (AL) a 4-3 win over the National League (NL) and capping the longest All-Star game in history.

Young’s hit to right field scored Justin Morneau in the 15th inning on Tuesday in the final All-Star classic at historic Yankee Stadium, which is due to be torn down in November.

J.D. Drew helped the AL rally for the win in the marathon game by hitting a two-run home run in the seventh inning that erased the NL’s 2-0 lead.

Brad Lidge (0-1) — the last pitcher left on the NL side — loaded the bases in the 15th before Texas’ Young lifted a high fly to right.

Corey Hart fired to the plate, but the throw was slightly off center, allowing Morneau to slide in safely and give the AL their 12th consecutive All-Star win.

“It was fun to be part of,” AL manager Terry Francona said.

The game tied the record for longest All-Star game in terms of innings and surpassed the record in terms of total time.

“I was doing Chinese arithmetic from the sixth inning on.” — Clint Hurdle, National League manager

Records were set across the board, as the teams combined for the most total stolen bases in an All-Star game — seven, six by the AL — and strikeouts with 34, 17 apiece.

Florida Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla, who entered the contest with six errors on the season, set a dubious mark with three miscues in the four-hour, 50 minute contest.

“I was doing Chinese arithmetic from the sixth inning on,” NL manager Clint Hurdle said.

Much to the chagrin of the home fans, Boston Red Sox outfielder Drew was named the game’s MVP.

The slugger became the 15th player in All-Star history to homer in his first at-bat, clubbing a two-run blast off Edinson Volquez to knot the score at 2-2 in the seventh.

The Yankee Stadium crowd rose in approval as Drew’s blast cleared the fence, but began to boo again as he rounded third and headed toward home.

The AL squad threatened to end the game against Colorado’s Aaron Cook in both the 10th and 11th. The junior circuit loaded the bases with no outs in the 10th on pair of errors by Uggla and an intentional walk.

Cook forced three straight groundballs to escape the jam.

Cook caught a break in the 11th when Ian Kinsler was thrown out trying to steal second after a leadoff single, but surrendered a walk to Dioner Navarro and a single to Drew to put runners on first and second.

Young followed with a sharp single to center field. The Pirates’ Nate McClouth picked up the ball on the run and fired towards home, where catcher Russell Martin had the plate blocked.

Navarro was out, and Cook retired Carlos Quentin to end the threat.

The NL loaded the bases in the 12th, but lefthander George Sherrill came on to strike out Adrian Gonzalez and end the senior circuit’s best scoring opportunity.

The NL held a 3-2 lead in the eighth after an unearned run off Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who was the source of vociferous booing by the Yankee Stadium crowd after an article in a New York newspaper suggested that the Boston closer believed he should get the call over Yankees closer Mariano Rivera in a save situation.

The AL tied the score again in the bottom of the frame, when rookie Evan Longoria lifted a ground-rule double down the left-field line to score Grady Sizemore, who had singled and stolen second base.
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