Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Center fielder Mike Trout opened the game with a home run and later scored the go-ahead run to lead the American League to a 6-3 win and become first player named the Most Valuable Player of two straight All-Star Games on July 14, 2015, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
The American League win in the 86th All-Star Game left the National League with a 43-41-2 series lead heading into the 87th game on July 12, 2016, at Petco Park in San Diego. Trout, from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, gave the American League an immediate 1-0 lead when he led off the game by homering off National League starter Zack Greinke of the crosstown-rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
The National League tied the game in the bottom of the second against American League starter Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros.
Arizona first baseman Paul Goldschmidt of Arizona opened the inning with an infield single to third and advanced to second on a throwing error by third baseman Josh Donaldson of the Toronto Blue Jays. Goldschmidt moved to third on an infield out and scored the tying (and unearned) run on a two-out single to short right by St. Louis shortstop Jhonny Peralta.
The American League took the lead for keeps with two runs in the top of the fifth off the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw.
Shortstop Alcides Escobar of the Kansas City Royals opened the inning with single, but was forced out at second on Trout's grounder. First baseman Albert Pujols drew a two-out walk, moving Trout to second. Trout raced home with the go-ahead run on a ground single to left by pinch-hitter Prince Fielder of the Texas Rangers. Kansas City right fielder Lorenzo Cain doubled to left, driving home Pujols to make it 3-1.
The National League pulled to within a run in the bottom of the sixth when Pittsburgh center fielder Andrew McCutchen greeted Tampa Bay reliever Chris Archer with an inning-opening homer. But the American League extended its lead to 5-2 in the top of the seventh.
Trout opened the inning by drawing a walk off Francisco Rodriguez, then of the Milwaukee Brewers. Boston's Brock Holt ran for Trout and immediately stole second. Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado drove in Holt with a double, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Fielder's sacrifice fly.
The American League made it 6-2 in the top of the eighth when pinch-hitter Brian Dozier of the Minnesota Twins hit a two-out solo homer off Mark Melancon of the Pirates. The National League scored their third run in the bottom of the ninth against Glen Perkins of the Twins.
Pinch-hitter Ryan Braun of the Brewers tripled to open the inning and scored on a sacrifice fly to deep left by San Francisco shortstop Brandon Crawford.
Outfielder Justin Upton represented the Padres and singled in his only at-bat.
Trout finished 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored and factored into three of the American League's four scoring innings. Fielder drove in two runs with a single and a sacrifice fly. Cain was the only player in the game with two hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Both starting pitchers worked two innings and gave up a run, although the run charged to Keuchel was unearned.
National League pitchers had 15 strikeouts, with Greinke having four, while both the Mets' Jacob deGrom (the sixth) and Cincinnati's Aroldis Chapman (ninth) each struck out the side in their innings.
David Price of the Tigers struck out two in a perfect fourth inning and was credited with the win. Kershaw took the loss.
Todd Frazier of the host Reds won the Home Run Derby on the eve of the All-Star Game.