Scoring Mark Disappears in Thin Air, 13-8

With hopes of witnessing an offensive explosion even by Coors Field’s high standards, the largest crowd in the ballpark’s four-year history attended the 69th All-Star game Tuesday night.

The combination of the most prolific power hitters in baseball playing at the game’s easiest launching pad was appealing for many, and fans anticipated a star-powered show.

They got their money’s worth.

The teams set a record for the most runs in an All-Star game in the American League’s 13-8 victory over the National League before 51,267.

Angel closer Troy Percival nailed down the American League’s second consecutive victory--and the eighth in 11 games--by pitching a scoreless ninth.

Bartolo Colon of the Cleveland Indians was the winner in his first all-star appearance despite giving up a three-run home run to Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants in the fifth inning. Ugueth Urbina of the Montreal Expos gave up three runs in the sixth to take the loss.

Angel outfielder Darin Erstad was hitless in two at-bats and scored a run after reaching on an error in the ninth, and Dodger outfielder Gary Sheffield popped out to short while pinch-hitting in the fourth. Jeff Shaw struggled in his first appearance in his new Dodger uniform, giving up three hits and a run in the eighth.

The American League had 19 hits, including three by Baltimore Oriole second baseman Roberto Alomar. Alomar was selected the game’s most valuable player the season after his older brother, Cleveland Indian catcher Sandy, won the award after the American League’s 3-1 victory.

“This was very special for my family,” Roberto said. “After Sandy won it last year when our grandmother died, this is just very special.”

Alomar said he figured the hitters would have a good time Tuesday night--but he didn’t count on that much fun.

“When you watch baseball on TV, you’re always seeing big scoring in Denver, big numbers in this ballpark,” said Alomar, whose two-out, solo homer in the seventh gave the American League a 9-6 lead.

“You expect big numbers in this ballpark, and this was a different type of All-Star game with all the scoring.”

That’s for sure.

The combined score broke the record of 20 established in 1954. The American League tied the record for runs by one team.

“I think it was, in some ways, a Coors Field type game,” said National League Manager Jim Leyland of the Florida Marlins.

“You saw some balls bloop in, freak hits, and guys had to play deep. Then they hit some balls out of the ballpark.”

But there were only three home runs--a slow night around these parts--and none by Mark McGwire or Ken Griffey Jr.

McGwire leads the major leagues with 37 homers, but he was hitless in two at-bats. Griffey, who leads the American League with 35 homers, went two for three with an RBI and a run.

“I can’t do it every at-bat, I can’t do it every week,” said McGwire, who walked and scored on Bonds’ homer in the fifth. “You go through streaks when you hit some, when you get into a nice groove. Then you go through streaks when you don’t.”

Said Griffey: “You had some great pitchers on the mound. When you have great pitchers on the mound, the ball doesn’t fly much.”

Bonds gave the NL its final lead, 6-5, with his towering three-run homer in the fifth. The blast, estimated at 451 feet, hit the San Francisco banner hanging from the top deck. Bonds and his father, Bobby, are one of two father-son tandems to homer in All-Star games. The Griffeys are the other.

Alex Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners gave the American League a 5-3 lead in the fifth with a leadoff homer against Andy Ashby of San Diego,

The American League trailed, 2-0, entering the fourth. But Tom Glavine of the Atlanta Braves struggled with his control, and the AL capitalized on the opportunity by batting around and scoring four runs.

Seattle’s Rodriguez and Ivan Rodriguez of the Texas Rangers opened the inning with singles, and they scored on a double into the right-field corner by Baltimore third baseman Cal Ripken Jr.

Ripken just missed hitting a three-run homer while making his 15th consecutive All-Star Game start.

“Well, I expected the ball to kind of curve away,” Ripken said. “Maybe it’s the light air here in Colorado, but the ball kind of stayed straight.”

With one out in the inning, Roberto Alomar walked to load the bases, and the AL took a 3-2 lead when Griffey walked to force in Ripken. Juan Gonzales, the major league leader with 101 runs batted in, made it 4-2 with a sacrifice fly, his only RBI of the game despite coming up with nine runners on base.

The NL had a chance to get back in the game in the eighth inning. Trailing, 10-6, the NL cut the lead to 10-8 on Greg Vaughn’s bases-loaded single.

With runners on first and second and still no outs, Devon White singled to left, and third-base coach Rich Donelly of the Marlins elected to send Fernando Vina home. But Paul O’Neill, the right fielder for the New York Yankees, threw Vina out at the plate for the first out, and shortstop Omar Vizquel made a dazzling play for a double play on Andres Galarraga’s bouncer to end the inning.

“It was no big brainstorm,” O’Neill said when asked why he chose to throw home rather than to second base. “I just took the ball and threw it as hard as I could.”

Leyland said he wanted to hear why Donnelly elected to send Vina.

“I haven’t talked to him about it,” Leyland said. “It might have been a situation, to be honest with you, where he thought the ball might go to second base and got burned by it.

“I don’t have any problems with those things. It’s baseball.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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1933: American, 4-2

1934: American, 9-7

1935: American, 4-1

1936: National, 4-3

1937: American, 8-3

1938: National, 4-1

1939: American, 3-1

1940: National, 4-0

1941: American, 7-5

1942: American, 3-1

1943: American, 5-3

1944: National, 7-1

1945: No Game

1946: American, 12-0

1947: American, 2-1

1948: American, 5-2

1949: American, 11-7

1950: National, 4-3

1951: National, 8-3

1952: National, 3-2, 5 innings, rain

1953: National, 5-1

1954: American, 11-9

1955: National, 6-5, 12 innings

1956: National, 7-3

1957: American, 6-5

1958: American, 4-3

1959: American, 5-3

1959: National, 5-4

1960: National, 6-0

1960: National, 5-3

1961: National, 5-4

1961: Tied 1-1, 9 innings, rain

1962: American, 9-4

1962: National, 3-1

1963: National, 5-3

1964: National, 7-4

1965: National, 6-5

1966: National, 2-1, 10 innings

1967: National, 2-1, 15 innings

1968: National, 1-0

1969: National, 9-3

1970: National, 5-4, 12 innings

1971: American, 6-4

1972: National, 4-3

1973: National, 7-1

1974: National, 7-2

1975: National, 6-3

1976: National, 7-1

1977: National, 7-5

1978: National, 7-3

1979: National, 7-6

1980: National, 4-2

1981: National, 5-4

1982: National, 4-1

1983: American, 13-3

1984: National, 3-1

1985: National, 6-1

1986: American, 3-2

1987: National, 2-0, 13 innings

1988: American, 2-1

1989: American, 5-3

1990: American, 2-0

1991: American, 4-2

1992: American, 13-6

1993: American, 9-3

1994: National, 8-7, 10 innings

1995: National, 3-2

1996: National, 6-0

1997: American, 3-1

1998: American, 13-8

NL leads series, 40-28-1

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1962: x-Leon Wagner, Angels, AL

1962: x-Maury Wills, Dodgers, NL

1963: Willie Mays, San Francisco, NL

1964: John Callison, Philadelphia, NL

1965: Juan Marichal, San Francisco, NL

1966: Brooks Robinson, Baltimore, AL

1967: Tony Perez, Cincinnati, NL

1968: Willie Mays, San Francisco, NL

1969: Willie McCovey, San Francisco, NL

1970: Carl Yastrzemski, Boston, AL

1971: Frank Robinson, Baltimore, AL

1972: Joe Morgan, Cincinnati, NL

1973: Bobby Bonds, San Francisco, NL

1974: Steve Garvey, Dodgers, NL

1975: Bill Madlock, Chicago, NL

: and Jon Matlack, New York, NL

1976: George Foster, Cincinnati, NL

1977: Don Sutton, Dodgers, NL

1978: Steve Garvey, Dodgers, NL

1979: Dave Parker, Pittsburgh, NL

1980: Ken Griffey, Cincinnati, NL

1981: Gary Carter, Montreal, NL

1982: Dave Concepcion, Cincinnati, NL

1983: Fred Lynn, Angels, AL

1984: Gary Carter, Montreal, NL

1985: LaMarr Hoyt, San Diego, NL

1986: Roger Clemens, Boston, AL

1987: Tim Raines, Montreal, NL

1988: Terry Steinbach, Oakland, AL

1989: Bo Jackson, Kansas City, AL

1990: Julio Franco, Texas, AL

1991: Cal Ripken, Baltimore, AL

1992: Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle, AL

1993: Kirby Puckett, Minnesota, AL

1994: Fred McGriff, Atlanta, NL

1995: Jeff Conine, Florida, NL

1996: Mike Piazza, Dodgers, NL

1997: Sandy Alomar, Cleveland, AL

1998: Roberto Alomar, Baltimore, AL

x-two games

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Roberto Alomar

At-bats: 4

Runs: 2

Hits: 3

RBI: 1

Home runs: 1

Stolen bases: 1

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ALL STAR GAME

AMERICAN LEAGUE: 13

NATIONAL LEAGUE: 8

HOW THE DODGERS FARED

* Outfielder Gary Sheffield was 0-for-1, popping up to short in the fourth inning. Former Cincinnati Reds closer Jeff Shaw, making his first appearance in a Dodger uniform, pitched one inning, giving up three hits and one earned run with no strikeouts.

*

HOW THE ANGELS FARED

* Outfielder Darin Erstad was 0-for-2, grounding to short in the seventh and reaching base on an error in the ninth. Troy Percival pitched the ninth inning and gave up one hit with two strikeouts.

*

PULLING THE POWER PLUG

* St. Louis’ Mark McGwire, leading the major leagues in home runs, was 0-for-2, and Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr. went 2-for-3 with one RBI. Barry Bonds, Roberto Alomar and Alex Rodriguez each hit home runs.

*

NO HITS TONIGHT

* Texas’ Juan Gonzalez, who leads the major leagues with 101 runs batted in, was 0-for-3 and drove in one run.