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CLEVELAND (AP) — For one night, the pitchers took back the power.<\/p>\n
Hours after an awesome Home Run Derby got everyone buzzing even louder about monster shots and juiced balls, only a couple flew out of Progressive Field in the All-Star Game.<\/p>\n
Instead, Justin Verlander<\/a> blazed 97 mph heat from the start, Shane Bieber<\/a> and Aroldis Chapman<\/a> each struck out the side and the American League slowed a loaded NL lineup 4-3 Tuesday for its seventh straight win.<\/p>\n ”I know it’s the year of the home run, but pitching dominated today,” Colorado slugger Nolan Arenado<\/a> said.<\/p>\n Sure did – at least until play resumes Thursday.<\/p>\n Facing Christian Yelich<\/a>, Cody Bellinger<\/a> and a bunch of boppers, the AL staff combined to strike out 16.<\/p>\n ”Baseball is a funny game,” said Bieber, a most unlikely MVP after being added late to the roster.<\/p>\n With fans hoping to see a replay of Monday’s jaw-dropping aerial show when 312 homers cleared the walls, this became the Arm-Star Game up until the late innings.<\/p>\n Derby champ Pete Alonso of the Mets grounded a two-out, two-run single past Gleyber Torres<\/a> in the eighth to close the NL’s gap. After a double steal put runners at second and third against Cleveland reliever Brad Hand, White Sox catcher James McCann made a tumbling catch on Mike Moustakas<\/a>‘ twisting foul pop to end the inning.<\/p>\n Chapman closed to give the AL its 19th win in 22 games, with a tie stuck in there. He got a little encouragement with two outs – Yankees teammate CC Sabathia, honored this week for his contributions on and off the field, strolled to the mound to talk to the flamethrower.<\/p>\n Chapman then struck out Yasmani Grandal for a save , giving the AL an overall 45-43-2 lead in the Midsummer Classic.<\/p>\n No need, either, for the experimental rule that was set to go effect: If the game went into extras, each team would’ve started the 10th with an automatic runner on second base.<\/p>\n Major League Baseball is on a record-shattering pace for homers this season, but no one came close to clearing the walls until Charlie Blackmon<\/a> connected in the NL sixth to make it 2-1. Texas’ Joey Gallo countered with a solo drive in a two-run seventh.<\/p>\n Still, it was a far cry from last year’s All-Star Game that featured a record 10 home runs.<\/p>\n ”I kind of expected it, to be honest,” former NL MVP Kris Bryant said. ”You only see them once, so they have the advantage.”<\/p>\n ”There are a lot of hard throwers and great pitchers over there. Unless you’ve seen them before, it’s a difficult matchup,” he said.<\/p>\n Cleveland favorite Michael Brantley<\/a> had an early RBI double off losing pitcher Clayton Kershaw. Jorge Polanco drove in a run with an infield single for a 2-0 edge in the fifth and another scored on a double-play grounder.<\/p>\n ”I wanted to swing the bat early. I had some nervous jitters I wanted to get out,” Brantley said.<\/p>\n Winning pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, Lucas Giolito<\/a> and Shane Greene<\/a> did their parts to protect the lead with scoreless innings.<\/p>\n