National League Falls 4-3 In 15 Inning Classic

[St. Jimmy]

Ramirez went 2 for 3, scoring a run; Uggla went 0-4 while committing a record three errors

They came to embrace the House That Ruth Built, to pay homage to hallowed and historic Yankee Stadium, where Babe Ruth and Murderer's Row changed baseball and the fate of the Yankees.

But the 79th All-Star Game -- the final one at Yankee Stadium -- felt more like Murmurer's Row as neither the American League nor National League could break a 3-3 tie until Michael Young drove in Justin Morneau with a sacrifice fly in the 15th inning.

Morneau slid just under Brian McCann's tag at the plate for the winning run.

The longest extra-inning game in All-Star history also was 15 innings, in 1967. But Tuesday night's lasted longer (4 hours, 40 minutes) in real time.

It was surprising by the time the 15th rolled around that Yankees fans, who can be as cruel as any -- weren't chanting ``Hit the ball to Dan Uggla.''

It was that kind of night for the Marlins second baseman, who made an All-Star-record three errors. Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez made the other error for the NL, which blew leads of 2-0 and 3-2.

Uggla opened the bottom of the 10th by making two errors to open the door for the AL, which loaded the bases but failed to score. Uggla also struck out with the bases loaded in the 12th and ended the ninth by hitting into a double play with runners at first and third. Uggla finished 0 for 4 and struck out three times.

''I'm fine. The only thing that [ticks] me off is we didn't win the game,'' Uggla said. ``I was never down. You shake it off. There was no reason it happened. I put my glove down and didn't make the play. It seems like when it rains it pours, and it was that way for me tonight.

``You don't try to justify it. My reputation is what it is. One game isn't going to change it. I know what kind of player I am.''

Uggla said he relished the whole All-Star experience, from being in the Home Run Derby to meeting Hall of Famers before the game.

''It was awesome, a great experience, playing in this game in this stadium,'' he said. ``When I met [the Hall of Famers] I was holding back the tears. I had some chills. It's something I will never forget.''

Said NL manager Clint Hurdle: ``My heart goes out to [Uggla]. He's such a good player.''

CLUTCH PITCHING

None of Uggla's errors cost the NL a run, thanks to Colorado's Aaron Cook, who escaped a bases-loaded no-out jam in the 10th by getting three consecutive grounders that turned into force-outs at the plate.

''I just wanted to thank Cooky,'' Uggla said. ``I can't say enough about how he got out of that inning.''

Cook, who pitched three innings, escaped again the 11th even though four batters reached base. He was saved because Pittsburgh's Nate McLouth threw out Tampa Bay's Dioner Navarro, who tried to score from second on Young's single to center.

Then Young delivered in the 15th off Philly's Brad Lidge, the final player on the NL roster. Lidge gave up a singles to Morneau and Navarro and walked Boston's J.D. Drew before Young delivered the first walk-off hit in an All-Star Game since 1994.

Drew, who hit a two-run homer in his first All-Star at-bat to knot the score at 2-2 in the seventh, was named the game's MVP after going 2 for 4 on a night when there were a record 34 strikeouts -- 17 by each team. The AL left 17 on base, and the NL stranded 11.

Drew would have been the AL's next choice to pitch.

''I would have been ready,'' he said. ``I've thrown a lot in the outfield.''

Mets third baseman David Wright would have been the NL's desperation pitcher.

''I would have had them turn off the radar gun,'' Wright said. ``It looked like it wasn't going to end, but if I had pitched it would have ended in a hurry.''

Lidge, the final player left on the NL's roster, took the loss after retiring only one batter in the 15th. Tampa Bay's Scott Kazmir, the last AL player on the roster, pitched the top of the 15th to earn the victory.

Ramirez had two hits and scored and left after the sixth inning. Ramirez was the first Marlin to start an All-Star Game since Gary Sheffield (1997), but by the end of the night every player had been used.

FRUSTRATING NIGHT

It was a long and frustrating night night for both teams. Colorado's Matt Holliday homered, and Houston's Lance Berkman's sacrifice fly brought home Ramirez to lift the NL to a 2-0 lead in the sixth.

The National League went ahead 3-2 in the eighth on former Marlin Adrian Gonzalez's sacrifice fly, but the AL got the run back in the bottom of he eighth on Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria's RBI ground-rule double.

Then came the gut-wrenching frustration -- for Uggla and for both teams -- as six consecutive scoreless innings made it seem the game would never end.

''It was crazy, but it was a fitting ending for the last All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium,'' said former Marlin and Cubs starter Ryan Dempster, who struck out the side in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. ``It's a game no one will forget.''

Marlins All-Stars see error of their ways - 07/16/2008 - MiamiHerald.com

[Sandroimbuto]

Wasn't a walk off hit by Young.

[Daft]

Clint Hurdle's Report Card: Suck Minus