Kansas City, MO – The National League, sparked by a trio of San Francisco Giants and exceptional pitching, will again have home-field advantage in the World Series after blanking the American League, 8-0, in the 83rd edition of the Midsummer Classic. The capacity crowd at Kauffman Stadium watched the NL rough up reigning AL MVP Justin Verlander for five runs in the first inning, three coming on a triple by Pablo Sandoval. Sandoval's teammate in San Francisco, Melky Cabrera, crushed a two-run homer in the fourth and starter Matt Cain, the backbone of the Giants' pitching staff this year, hurled two scoreless innings to earn the win. Last year's NL MVP, Ryan Braun of the Brewers, went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI and had one of three triples for the Senior Circuit, which won the showcase game for the third straight time after a 13-year drought. Tony La Russa, the first inactive All-Star manager since Bob Lemon in 1979, used a combination of 11 pitchers who held the AL to just six hits, one coming from the Angels' Mike Trout in the 20-year-old's first at-bat. It was the eighth shutout in All-Star history. Ron Washington, manager of the two-time reigning league champion Rangers, opted to start Verlander, and the Tigers ace surrendered four hits and two walks his only inning on the hill.
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