The National league got off to the better start in this year’s MLB All Star Game, but the American League had the last laugh coming away with the victory. The final score was 5-4, with Ichiro hitting the first ever inside the park home run in the All Star Game history. Home Runs were also hit by Victor Martinez, Carl Crawford, and Alfonso Soriano. Ken Griffey Jr. also had the first two runs batted in for the National league. The win went to Josh Beckett, and the loss went to San Diego Padres pitcher Chris Young. Barry bonds was lifted from left field in the fourth inning after going 0-2. He predicted that he would go hitless, because of the part he attended the night before.

“Forgive me when I go 0-for-5. The party was more fun,” Bonds said before Tuesday night’s All-Star game. “I don’t stay up past 11 or 12 ‘cause I get up and train every morning.”

However he still did claim to have a great night at the All Star Game.

“I’m lost for words with it,” Bonds said. “There’s too many emotions to be able to explain it. This is my family who I grew up with for a lot of years. All I can do is say, ‘thank you.”

An interesting move made by National League team’s manager Tony LaRussa was letting his star first baseman Albert Pujols sit on the bench the entire game. Pujols was apparentley peeved by this decision.

“It’s the All-Star game. He can do what he wants,” Pujols said Tuesday night. “He does whatever he wants. If I wasn’t expecting to play, I wouldn’t have come up here.”

However Tony LaRussa would defend his decision.

“Once we lost (Miguel) Cabrera and (Freddy) Sanchez, he was the guy we were going to use to protect ourselves in case we kept playing because of Albert’s versatility,” La Russa said. “I think we had the right guy at bat.”

Meaning that with all other players used, Pujols’ versatility would have to come in handy so that if any player in the field would have to come out of the game, Pujols would be the one to fill in for them. Aaron Rowand, the batter who made the last out of the game ws used in a pinch hitting role over Albert Pujols.