AL Locks Up the Home Field

Chicago Cub Manager Dusty Baker couldn’t have arranged a more favorable situation for his National League team Tuesday night -- a three-run lead in the bottom of the seventh inning and a Murderer’s Row of relievers, Houston closer Billy Wagner, Dodger closer Eric Gagne and Atlanta closer John Smoltz, lined up to extinguish the American League in the 74th All-Star game.

“We felt pretty good about our chances knowing we had Wagner, Gagne and Smoltz out there,” Arizona outfielder Luis Gonzalez said. “I wouldn’t have been too comfortable in that other dugout.”

Two innings and two stunning home runs later, it was the AL dugout that was celebrating a 7-6 victory before 47,609 in U.S. Cellular Field, as New York Yankee first baseman Jason Giambi smashed a solo home run off Wagner in the seventh and Texas third baseman Hank Blalock capped a three-run eighth with a two-out, two-run home run off Gagne.

Angel left fielder Garret Anderson, who doubled to spark the eighth-inning rally, also singled in the fourth and hit a two-run homer in the sixth to win the game’s Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award, one night after he won the home run derby. Angel reliever Brendan Donnelly pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the victory.

When Atlanta shortstop Rafael Furcal’s two-out, ninth-inning fly ball to the warning track landed in White Sox right fielder Magglio Ordonez’s glove -- a drive that was a few feet short of producing a dreaded tie score and possibly extra innings -- the American League had secured home-field advantage for October’s World Series.

“That was phenomenal; it couldn’t have been a better game,” said Giambi, whose seventh-inning homer pulled the AL to within 6-4. “It was a storybook ending with Hank hitting a pinch-hit homer on the national stage. I’m sure if we’re in the World Series and we win the seventh game, someone will send Hank Blalock a nice 12-pack of something.”

Gagne will get a carton of goat’s milk. The Dodger relief ace hasn’t blown a save all season, has a string of 39 consecutive saves dating to Aug. 28, and has given up only one home run this year, to Colorado’s Todd Helton on May 29.

He began Tuesday night’s game with a 1.99 earned-run average, 76 strikeouts and 11 walks in 45 1/3 innings, and they even piped his Dodger Stadium theme song, “Welcome to the Jungle,” into the U.S. Cellular sound system when he came into the game.

It was a jungle out there, all right. Trying to protect a 6-4 lead, Gagne gave up a double to Anderson, who was replaced by pinch-runner Melvin Mora of the Orioles. Carl Everett of the White Sox grounded out for the second out, but Toronto outfielder Vernon Wells doubled to left-center, pulling the AL to within 6-5.

Angel Manager Mike Scioscia sent up Blalock to hit for Angel third baseman Troy Glaus, and after working the count to 3-and-1, Blalock ripped a down-the-middle fastball into the bleachers in right-center for a 7-6 lead.

“I’ll take the blame for the NL not having the home-field advantage in the World Series,” Gagne said. “I’m sorry, but that’s the way it works when you’re a closer.... Hopefully, it will be the Dodgers in there so I can redeem myself. It bothers me, but it’s over. That’s what closers have to deal with.”

Gagne said he was comfortable on the mound, but he looked a little out of sorts. Afterward, he admitted he was a little unsure of himself.

“I didn’t approach it the same as a regular-season game, but you don’t really know what to do,” said Gagne, who gave up a homer to Alfonso Soriano in last year’s All-Star game. “In the regular season, if you have to knock a guy down, you do it. If you have to throw a curve or changeup on 3-0, you do it. Here, it’s a little different.

“It’s an All-Star game. You don’t want to walk guys, you want to challenge them. There’s a gray area. You want to take the game seriously, but you don’t want to take the game too seriously.”

Gagne didn’t seem too traumatized by the blown save. He was even able to chuckle at times as he spoke afterward.

“I don’t even remember those words, blown save,” Gagne said. “I’ve been trying to forget about them.”

The NL built a 5-1 lead with a five-run fifth inning, which included Helton’s two-run homer off Seattle right-hander Shigetoshi Hasegawa and Atlanta center fielder Andruw Jones’ two-run double off Minnesota left-hander Eddie Guardado.

But Anderson, whose three-run double provided the winning margin in the Angels’ World Series Game 7 victory over San Francisco last October, came up huge again, lofting a pitch from St. Louis right-hander Woody Williams into the seats in right-center for a two-run homer to cut the lead to 5-3.

With last fall’s World Series victory, Monday night’s home run derby win and Tuesday night’s MVP award -- not to mention three straight seasons with at least 28 home runs and 117 RBIs -- Anderson is no longer baseball’s best-kept secret.

“He’s raised his profile this week,” Scioscia said. “All of Southern California and the baseball community has known him for a long time -- he’s one of the top five hitters in the game, he’s incredibly consistent, and he’s a terrific athlete. He’s not comfortable with the spotlight, he’s not flamboyant or a showboat, but whether he likes it or not, he’s on that stage now.”

Donnelly, the Angel set-up man with the major league-low 0.38 ERA, retired the side in the eighth and was the beneficiary of the AL’s three-run eighth.

“I’ll take the win, but I happened to be in the right place at the right time,” Donnelly said. “The win should go to the hitters.”

Especially Anderson.

“What he did Monday, what he did [Tuesday night] was great, but I get to see that every day,” Donnelly said. “He’s one of five to 10 players you can call elite players in this league. I get spoiled every day watching him.”

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HOW LOCALS FARED

ANGELS

* Garret Anderson -- Had a home run, a double and a single in four at-bats as starting left-fielder, winning MVP honors.

* Brendan Donnelly -- Pitched a perfect inning in the eighth, striking out Preston Wilson, and picked up the victory.

* Troy Glaus -- Was hitless in three at-bats, with two strikeouts, as starting third baseman.

DODGERS

* Eric Gagne -- Took the loss, giving up three runs on two doubles and Hank Blalock’s game-winning home run.

* Paul Lo Duca -- Had an infield single pinch-hitting for Javy Lopez in the top of the sixth and finished the game at catcher, going one for two.

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MVPs

*--* 2003 Garret Anderson, Angels 2002 None 2001 Cal Ripken, Baltimore, AL 2000 Derek Jeter, New York, AL 1999 Pedro Martinez, Boston, AL 1998 Roberto Alomar, Baltimore, AL 1997 Sandy Alomar Jr., Cleveland, AL 1996 Mike Piazza, Dodgers, NL 1995 Jeff Conine, Florida, NL 1994 Fred McGriff, Atlanta, NL 1993 Kirby Puckett, Minnesota, AL 1992 Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle, AL 1991 Cal Ripken, Baltimore, AL 1990 Julio Franco, Texas, AL 1989 Bo Jackson, Kansas City, AL 1988 Terry Steinbach, Oakland, AL 1987 Tim Raines, Montreal, NL 1986 Roger Clemens, Boston, AL 1985 LaMarr Hoyt, San Diego, NL 1984 Gary Carter, Montreal, NL 1983 Fred Lynn, Angels, AL 1982 Dave Concepcion, Cincinnati, NL 1981 Gary Carter, Montreal, NL 1980 Ken Griffey Sr., Cincinnati, NL 1979 Dave Parker, Pittsburgh, NL 1978 Steve Garvey, Dodgers, NL 1977 Don Sutton, Dodgers, NL 1976 George Foster, Cincinnati, NL 1975 Bill Madlock, Chicago, NL, and Jon Matlack, New York, NL 1974 Steve Garvey, Dodgers, NL 1973 Bobby Bonds, San Francisco, NL 1972 Joe Morgan, Cincinnati, NL 1971 Frank Robinson, Baltimore, AL 1970 Carl Yastrzemski, Boston, AL 1969 Willie McCovey, San Francisco, NL 1968 Willie Mays, San Francisco, NL 1967 Tony Perez, Cincinnati, NL 1966 Brooks Robinson, Baltimore, AL 1965 Juan Marichal, San Francisco, NL 1964 John Callison, Philadelphia, NL 1963 Willie Mays, San Francisco, NL 1962 Maury Wills, Dodgers, NL 1962 Leon Wagner, Angels, AL

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RESULTS

*--* 2003 American, 7-6 2002 Tied 7-7, 11 innings 2001 American, 4-1 2000 American, 6-3 1999 American, 4-1 1998 American, 13-8 1997 American, 3-1 1996 National, 6-0 1995 National, 3-2 1994 National, 8-7, 10 innings 1993 American, 9-3 1992 American, 13-6 1991 American, 4-2 1990 American, 2-0 1989 American, 5-3 1988 American, 2-1 1987 National, 2-0, 13 innings 1986 American, 3-2 1985 National, 6-1 1984 National, 3-1 1983 American, 13-3 1982 National, 4-1 1981 National, 5-4 1980 National, 4-2 1979 National, 7-6 1978 National, 7-3 1977 National, 7-5 1976 National, 7-1 1975 National, 6-3 1974 National, 7-2 1973 National, 7-1 1972 National, 4-3, 10 innings 1971 American, 6-4 1970 National, 5-4, 12 innings 1969 National, 9-3 1968 National, 1-0 1967 National, 2-1, 15 innings 1966 National, 2-1, 10 innings 1965 National, 6-5 1964 National, 7-4 1963 National, 5-3 1962 National, 3-1 1962 American, 9-4 1961 Tied 1-1, 9 innings, rain 1961 National, 5-4, 10 innings 1960 National, 5-3 1960 National, 6-0 1959 National, 5-4 1959 American, 5-3 1958 American, 4-3 1957 American, 6-5 1956 National, 7-3 1955 National, 6-5, 12 innings 1954 American, 11-9 1953 National, 5-1 1952 National, 3-2, 5 innings, rain 1951 National, 8-3 1950 National, 4-3, 14 innings 1949 American, 11-7 1948 American, 5-2 1947 American, 2-1 1946 American, 12-0 1945 No Game 1944 National, 7-1 1943 American, 5-3 1942 American, 3-1 1941 American, 7-5 1940 National, 4-0 1939 American, 3-1 1938 National, 4-1 1937 American, 8-3 1936 National, 4-3 1935 American, 4-1 1934 American, 9-7 1933 American, 4-2

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