2008 All-Star Game

2008 All-Star Game

S2 E4: July 15th, 2008 -- On an evening honoring the rich tapestry of Yankee Stadium's history, the American League found another reason to celebrate the Midsummer Classic -- but it'd have to wait. The Cathedral isn't one to let the spotlight go easily. In the longest All-Star Game in history, Michael Young's sacrifice fly delivered the final blow, allowing the AL to defeat the NL in 15 innings, 4-3, on Tuesday. In the 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, it was a memorable finish to perhaps the final national event on the storied Bronx stage. The final twist took hold with the Phillies' Brad Lidge on to work the 15th. Justin Morneau slid home after Young's fly ball to right, with Corey Hart's throw home arriving just a touch too late. "I would have loved to have seen that game wrapped up a little earlier, but we battled and I think it's fitting in Yankee Stadium -- a place where something unpredictable always seems to happen," Young said. "At that point, the legs aren't exactly feeling great, but I had just enough in the tank," Morneau said. Tampa Bay's Scott Kazmir pitched a scoreless top half in relief, logging his first All-Star victory with three outs of work. Kazmir did not expect to even see action in the contest, but as the night grew toward its four-hour, 50-minute conclusion, the bullpen members thinned out. "Once I was there by myself, it was a little nerve-racking," Kazmir said. "There's no telling. I was good to go out for another one, that's for sure." It wasn't needed, as the American League extended its unbeaten streak to a record 12 games, improving to 11-0-1 since the National League's last victory in 1996 at Philadelphia. The decision secures the American League's home-field advantage in the World Series, the sixth consecutive year since Major League Baseball began using the All-Star Game to decide placement of the Fall Classic.