EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPHILADELPHIA -- Dylan Cease struck out the side in the first inning, combining with 10 relievers on a three-hitter in a show of pitching dominance that led the American League to a 4-0 win over the National League in Tuesday night's All-Star Game.Cody Bellinger, who was named the game's MVP, hit a two-run single and Ben Rice followed with an RBI single in the first against Cristopher Sanchez of the host Philadelphia Phillies.Miguel Vargas of the Chicago White Sox added an eighth-inning home run off the Los Angeles Dodgers' Justin Wrobleski, who was pitching on his 26th birthday, for the game's only extra-base hit. The AL won for the 18th time in 23 games and holds a 49-45-2 advantage overall.Tuesday night marked the 10th shutout in All-Star Game history, and the first since the AL's 3-0 win in 2013.Singles by Juan Soto in the fourth, Pete Crow-Armstrong in the eighth and Otto Lopez in the ninth were the only hits by the NL, which failed to advance a runner past first.Pitchers combined for 27 strikeouts, including 15 by the AL.Cease struck out Kyle Schwarber, Soto and CJ Abrams around a walk in the first inning. He became just the seventh pitcher to strike out three in an All-Star opening inning after Carl Hubbell (1934), Warren Spahn (1949), Jim Palmer (1977), Dave Stieb (1983), Pedro Martinez (1999) and Brad Penny (2006); four of those pitchers are Hall of Famers.Parker Messick, Michael Wacha, Joe Ryan, Nick Martinez, Cade Smith, Drew Rasmussen, Jacob Latz, Louis Varland, Aroldis Chapman and Bryan Baker finished the game.Some starting star power was missing, with Jacob Misoriowski, Paul Skenes and Shohei Ohtani all unavailable. Just six pitches reached 100 mph, the fewest in an All-Star Game since 2021.Bellinger and Rice both singled on up sinkers from Sanchez, who struggled through a 34-pitch inning that included three hits and two walks."It just took me a little time to soak it all in and enjoy it," Sanchez said through an interpreter.Mike Trout, a 12-time All-Star who hadn't played in the game since 2019 because of injuries, went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.Managers and starters entered through replica Liberty Bells in front of each dugout, walked to home plate and used a feathered quill to sign an oversized lineup card, as if they were Founding Fathers affixing names to the Declaration of Independence. The dirt was surrounded by 13 stars, one for each of the Colonies.Fireworks were set off after the fourth inning to a video of Ray Charles singing "America the Beautiful" at Game 2 of the 2001 World Series.Philadelphia was awarded this year's All-Star Game in 2019 an unusually long lead time to coincide with the U.S. 250th semiquincentennial. The Phillies hosted the 1976 and '96 games at Veterans Stadium and the Athletics in 1943 and '52 at Shibe Park.At the 1996 game, there was a hard hit even before the first pitch. Cal Ripken Jr.'s nose was broken when struck by a forearm of Chicago White Sox reliever Roberto Hernandez when he lost his balance on a platform during the AL team picture.Next year's game is scheduled for the Chicago Cubs' Wrigley Field for the first time since 1990 but is threatened by possible labor strife.The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.
