Braun, K-Rod cherish 6th All-Star appearance
Outfielder triples, scores in 9th; Rodriguez gives up two runs
In a star-studded game highlighted by a strong group of under-25 phenoms, Brewers All-Stars Ryan Braun and Francisco Rodriguez served as the veteran presence.
In the American League's 6-3 victory in the 86th All-Star Game presented by T-Mobile in Cincinnati, Braun played in his franchise-record sixth All-Star Game with the club. It was No. 6 for Rodriguez as well, and his second with Milwaukee. Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was the only active player on the National League roster with more All-Star appearances than either Brewers player.
"They never get old," Rodriguez said. "I hope this isn't my last one. I hope to have another opportunity in the future."
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Braun did all he could in his only plate appearance of the night, leading off the bottom of the ninth inning with an 0-1 triple down the right-field line off Twins closer Glen Perkins.
Braun scored the NL's third and final run of the game in the following at-bat when San Francisco shortstop Brandon Crawford hit a sacrifice fly to left.
"The goal is to always contribute, always try to find a way to help your team win," Braun said. "We weren't able to do that tonight, but if I'm going to get in there, it's a lot better to get an extra-base hit and score a run than go 0-for-1. It's always a lot of fun, just an incredible experience to be here. And it's nice to have a productive day on top of that."
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The triple was Braun's second at the Midsummer Classic, as he also hit one at the 2012 All-Star Game in Kansas City. Braun is now 3-for-11 in his All-Star Game career.
Rodriguez was handed the ball for the seventh inning, given a tough act to follow after Jacob deGrom's dominating sixth frame.
Rodriguez faced five batters and allowed two earned runs on a hit, a walk and a sacrifice fly. It was the first time in Rodriguez's six All-Star appearances that he conceded an earned run.
"The fact that I'm here with these guys, I'm blessed," Rodriguez said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity and I just keep moving forward."
Braun made it a point to give props to the Reds and their fans for the atmosphere that the All-Star weekend provided.
"They did such a phenomenal job with the city," Braun said. "The energy and enthusiasm of the fans in Cincinnati was really special. It was fun to be a part of."