Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Dave Winfield of the Padres drove in the go-ahead run as the National League extended their winning streak to nine straight games on July 8, 1980, in the first and only All-Star Game played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
As in many previous games during the NL's domination -- 17 wins in 18 years -- the American League took a 2-0 lead as pitchers Steve Stone and Tommy John opened the game by pitching 4 2/3 perfect innings.
Stone, a right-hander from the Baltimore Orioles, became the first AL starter since Denny McLain in 1966 to open the game with three perfect innings. Stone had three strikeouts.
Meanwhile, NL starter J.R. Richard of the Houston Astros, opened with two scoreless innings, allowing a hit and two walks with three strikeouts.
Bob Welch of the Dodgers followed with two scoreless innings before he ran into trouble with two out in the top of the fifth. California Angels first baseman Rod Carew singled and center fielder Fred Lynn put the AL ahead with a two-run homer to right.
The home run was Lynn's third in All-Star Games and his second in as many years.
John, of the New York Yankees, followed Stone by retiring the first five NL hitters he faced before Cincinnati left fielder Ken Griffey homered with two out in the fifth to halve the AL lead.
The NL took the lead with two runs against John in the bottom of the sixth. Three straight one-out singles by Reds third baseman Ray Knight, Pittsburgh second baseman Phil Garner and St. Louis Cardinals center fielder George Hendrick, tied the game and put runners at first and third.
Ed Farmer of the Chicago White Sox came on in relief to face Winfield, who had entered the game in right field in the fifth as a substitute for Dave Parker of the Pirates.
Winfield hit a wicked grounder at Willie Randolph that the Yankees second baseman couldn't field. Randolph was charged with an error. Winfield was credited with the game-winning RBI when Garner scored.
The NL added a final run in the bottom of the seventh against the struggling Dave Stieb of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Griffey opened the inning with a single, but was forced out at second on a grounder by Reds shortstop Dave Concepcion -- who moved to second on a wild pitch, third on a balk and scored on Stieb's second wild pitch of the inning. In one inning, Stieb allowed a hit and two walks while throwing two wild pitches and balking once.
After Lynn's homer, Jerry Reuss of the Dodgers and Jim Bibby of the Pirates each worked a scoreless inning before Bruce Sutter of the Cubs walked one and struck out one over two scoreless innings to close out the victory. Reuss was credited with the win.
Each team had seven hits.
Griffey was 2-for-3 with his solo homer and played a role in two of the NL's four runs and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. New York Mets' first baseman Keith Hernandez was 2-for-2. Carew was 2-for-2 with a walk for the AL. Randolph was 2-for-4.