American League shuts out National League 3-0, claims World Series home field advantage

Well before I address the All-Star game from last night, I want to address my article from yesterday (7-15-13) about how I didn't believe Yoenis Cespedes deserved to participate in the Home Run Derby. It seems that I may have ruffled a few feathers with my article and for that I'm...yeah never mind. I was going to apologize but I'm not sorry. I stand by what I said and my opinion that the Home Run Derby is an All-Star event and it's participants should have been selected from the All-Star rosters. If you got your feathers ruffled, I don't care. Get over it.

Now that's over with, last night was the 84th MLB All-Star Game from Citi Field in New York. The American League snapped a 3-year losing streak by shutting out the National League 3-0. The National League All Stars looked helpless at the plate as they only mustered up 3 hits in the entire game. The American League had a no hitter into the fourth before St. Louis Cardinals' Carlos Beltran singled off Seattle Mariners' Felix Hernandez to break the no hit bit up. The National League never seemed to get into a groove at all offensively.

For the most part, the game was kind of boring. But it had it's moments. I like seeing big men get long hits so I enjoyed watching Prince Fielder triple off Pittsburgh's Jason Grilli in the top of the 9th inning. Just being a fellow big man, I like watching big men run. So watching Fielder triple was awesome. Another moment I enjoyed a lot was watching Joe Nathan come in and close down the National League in the bottom of the 9th. As anyone who knows me knows...I'm a huge Texas Rangers fan. So to watch our closer come into the All-Star Game and get the save...it was awesome. I can't help but wonder (and hope...and pray) that what we witnessed last night was precursor to watching Joe Nathan close out the final game of the World Series in Arlington to clinch the Rangers first ever World Series title.

The moment of the night definitely came in the bottom of the 8th inning as you heard the following music start to play:

As that song began to roar throughout Citi Field, the fans knew they had better stand up to their feet because history was taking place. The American League bullpen opened out and out stepped the man: Mariano Rivera. The all time saves leader and future first ballot Hall of Famer came running out to take his place on his mound. The crowd rose to their feet and applauded while every player stood at the top of their dugouts and clapped for the man that has been a staple in New York with the Yankees. Now I can't stand the Yankees. Never have and never will. But I respect the fire out of Rivera. He is a classy guy who deserved the ovation he got last night. Then on top of that, pitched a perfect 1-2-3 8th inning. A lot of people are confused as to why manager Jim Leyland would bring Rivera into the game in the 8th inning and not let him get the save in the 9th. But Leyland did the right thing. He allowed Rivera to have his moment and allowed the spotlight to be on him as he deserved. So props to Jim Leyland. 

Overall the game was a little boring, but in the end the American League won. Now if the Rangers do their part and make it back to the World Series, Game 1 in October will be at Rangers Ballpark In Arlington.