Cutch’s homer not enough for NL
CINCINNATI — Andrew McCutchen caused fireworks to go off and the center field smokestacks at Great American Ball Park to shoot flames.
However, the Pittsburgh Pirates superstar’s home run wasn’t enough to keep the National League from losing 6-3 to the American League on Tuesday night in the All-Star Game.
McCutchen led off the sixth inning with a long drive to left field off Tampa Bay left-hander Chris Archer to draw the NL within 3-2 but the AL pulled away and will have home-field advantage in the World Series.
McCutchen, who started in center field and batted leadoff, became the first Pirates player to homer in an All-Star Game since Dave Parker connected off Mike Norris in 1981 at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland.
McCutchen went 1-for-3 as he popped out to first base in the first inning against Houston’s Dallas Keuchel and struck out swinging in the third against the Seattle’s Felix Hernandez.
“Just to play in an All-Star Game, get an at-bat in an All-Star Game is such a thrill,” said McCutchen, who was playing in his fifth consecutive Midsummer Classic.
“To hit in a home run in one is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. It’s up there with just about anything I’ve done in my career.”
Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole pitched a scoreless third inning for the NL, relieving starter Zack Greinke of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cole got Kansas City’s Alcides Escboar to fly out to McCutchen then struck out the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout, last year’s AL MVP who homered in his first at bat.
Toronto’s Josh Donaldson worked a walk, but Cole ended the inning by inducing the Angels’ Albert Pujols to line out to McCutchen.
Pirates closer Mark Melancon pitched the eighth inning and got nicked for a two-out solo home run by Minnesota’s Brian Dozier that pushed the AL lead to 6-2.
Melancon started the inning by striking out the New York Yankees’ Brett Gardner and Toronto’s Russell Martin — his former teammates — then got Detroit’s Jose Iglesias to hit an inning-ending ground out.
Pirates right-hander A.J. Burnett, selected to the first All-Star Game of his 17-year career, did not pitch as NL manager Bruce Bochy of San Francisco held him back in the event the game went to extra innings.
The AL pulled ahead 3-1 with a two-run fifth inning off reigning NL MVP and Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers. Texas’ Prince Fielder singled in a run and Kansas City’s Lorenzo Cain followed with an RBI double.
A two-run seventh increased the AL lead to 5-2 as Baltimore’s Manny Machado hit an RBI double and scored on Fielder’s sacrifice fly.
After Dozier’s homer, the NL cut the gap to 6-3 in the ninth when Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by San Francisco’s Brandon Crawford.
Trout gave the AL a quick lead by lining a leadoff home over the right-field fence on the fourth pitch of the game by Greinke.
The NL tied it in the second on an RBI single by St. Louis’ Jhonny Peralta.