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AL extends midseason dominance

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 15, 2009

Updated: 07/15/2009 12:33 am

ST. LOUIS - Carl Crawford's glove and a dominant bullpen helped save the AL's streak in the All-Star Game.

The Rays' left fielder pulled back a home run with a leaping grab an inning before Curtis Granderson tripled and scored the tiebreaking run in the eighth, giving the American League a 4-3 victory Tuesday night at the new Busch Stadium. Crawford was voted the game's most valuable player.

The AL has won seven straight games since 2002's 7-7, 11-inning tie at Milwaukee and is 12-0-1 since its 1996 defeat at Philadelphia - the longest unbeaten streak in All-Star history.

Not even President Barack Obama's ceremonial first pitch helped the NL, which had been 4-0 when sitting presidents threw out the first offering.

Starting with Hanley Ramirez's ground out off starter Roy Halladay that ended the second, AL pitchers retired 18 consecutive batters before Adrian Gonzalez's two-out walk in the eighth against Joe Nathan. Orlando Hudson singled and, with pinch-hitter Ryan Howard at the plate, stole second before Howard struck out.

Mariano Rivera pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his record fourth All-Star save, breaking a tie with Dennis Eckersley and giving him eight All-Star innings over eight appearances with no earned runs.

Adam Jones drove in Granderson with a sacrifice fly off loser Heath Bell, helping the AL narrow its deficit against the senior circuit to 40-38-2.

Crawford jumped at the 8-foot left-field wall and snared Brad Hawpe's leadoff drive in the seventh off Jonathan Papelbon, which would have been a tiebreaking home run.

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