Splendid Night for Home Team

They played the 70th and last All-Star game of the 20th century at the treasured relic that is Fenway Park on Tuesday night.

They assembled some of the game’s greatest players, including Hank Aaron and Willie Mays and Stan Musial, as part of a stirring pregame ceremony.

They brought out 80-year-old Red Sox legend Ted Williams, who would stand on shaky legs to throw out the ceremonial first pitch--but only after tears welled in his eyes as a crowd of 34,187 provided a roaring reception and the full contingent of obviously moved American and National League all-stars surrounded his golf cart in the middle of the infield to touch the legend and share in the magical moment.

If that wasn’t enough history for one midsummer night, Pedro Martinez promptly provided more while establishing a dominating tone for the American League’s 4-1 victory.

The Boston Red Sox ace, 15-3 in the first half, became the first pitcher in All-Star history to open the game with four consecutive strikeouts and tied an American League record with a total of five in a two-inning stint that earned him the most-valuable-player award and prompted National League right fielder Larry Walker to say, “He could tell you what’s coming and still get you out. He’s probably the top pitcher in the game and will be for awhile.”

Said National League shortstop Barry Larkin, Martinez’ first strikeout victim : “I’m just glad he’s not in the National League any more. I still can’t believe the Dodgers gave up on him and I’m not sad that he’s no longer with Montreal. I mean, when the Dodgers got rid of him I said, ‘what the heck are they thinking, what are they doing?’ That little guy stands out there throwing a three billion mile-per-hour fastball and a 30-mile-per-hour changeup. Give me a break.”

There were none for Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and the National League hitters. Six American League pitchers followed Martinez’ cue, scattering seven hits while tying an American League record with 12 strikeouts. Nine National League pitchers gave up only six hits and struck out 10.

The combined total of 22 strikeouts was an All-Star record and defied the offensive pattern of this and recent years.

The game’s best hitters failed to reach Fenway’s renowned left-field wall even once. Twelve of the 13 hits were singles.

Martinez said the MVP award ranked “right there” with his 1997 Cy Young Award. He said he was excited to start with but pumped even higher--as most of the all-stars were--by the emotional pregame ceremony, seeing so many “baseball glories” on the field at one time and then having Williams join them in an appearance that shook Fenway just as a fly-over by four Air Force jets had moments earlier.

“After the planes flew over, that was the second time I thought the stadium was going to go down,” Martinez said, referring to Williams’ arrival. “I don’t have words to explain how good it feels to just be part of all the history and atmosphere here. Do these people eat and drink baseball, or what? It’s unbelievable.”

So was Martinez. His four consecutive strikeouts were one shy of the overall record set by Carl Hubbell in 1934 and matched by Fernando Valenzuela in 1986. He struck out Larkin swinging, Walker looking and Sosa swinging in the first. He opened the second by striking out McGwire swinging. The streak ended when Matt Williams hit a grounder to second baseman Roberto Alomar, who bobbled it for an error. Martinez came back to nail Jeff Bagwell on a called third strike, and Williams was doubled up trying to steal second.

The American League had taken a 2-0 lead against Curt Schilling in the first thanks to the Cleveland connection. Indian center fielder Kenny Lofton legged out an infield single to open the inning, Indian right fielder Manny Ramirez drew a two-out walk, and Indian first baseman Jim Thome (who will play third when the season resumes Thursday) singled in the first run before Cal Ripken Jr. broke up their act with a single that brought in Ramirez.

“I think we were basically showing the world what the Indians are all about,” Lofton said.

The American League scored two more runs against Kent Bottenfield of St. Louis in the fourth on a walk, a hit batter, a single by Rafael Palmeiro and an error by Williams on a hard smash from Alomar, another Indian.

The only National League run came off David Cone in the third when Jeromy Burnitz doubled and Larkin singled.

The NL had two on with one out in the fifth, but Mike Mussina struck out Sosa and McGwire, the 1998 dream makers.

Gary Sheffield, the lone Dodger representative, grounded out to short as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning, and Troy Percival, the lone Angel selected, was one of four players who did not get into the game, as each team reserved two pitchers in case the game went into extra innings.

It was, ultimately, a night that belonged to Martinez and the Kid named Williams, that combined the new with the nostalgic.

It will be the last All-Star game in Fenway Park, which is destined to give way to a replica, and Larry Walker literally took a piece of it home with him, expressing in a grass-roots way the emotions many of the all-stars seem to be feeling.

“I hope the ground crew doesn’t get too mad because I tore this piece of grass out of right field,” he said, displaying the chunk of green sod to reporters. “I’m taking it home and I’m going to have it forever and I’m going to be able to say I played here while it was still Fenway Park.”

HOW LOCALS FARED

GARY SHEFFIELD: The Dodgers’ lone represen- tative grounded to short in the eighth inning.

TROY PERCIVAL: The Angel reliever was warming up in the ninth but didn’t get in.