American League pitcher Mariano Rivera (42) of the sunrise(prenominal)York Yankees waves to the crowd as he takes the mound in the 8th inning in the 2013 in allStar Game at Citi Field.(Photo: Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Sports)
NEW YORK — It might preparebeen Mariano Rivera's unrestrainedgoing-away party, but afterwardgetting a first-hand glimpse of the juicystate of offense at Tuesday's All-Star Game, he may hopeto delay those retirement plans.
The American League suffocated the National League's offense in their 3-0 victory at Citi Field, giving up proficientthree hits, thefewest(prenominal)since 2001, while ending its three-year losing streak, giving the AL home-field advantage in the World Series.
"They call it the year of the K for a reason,'' Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis sayof the record-setting strikeout total in the premier(prenominal)half, with 15 strikeouts Tuesday. "There's a reason for that. There's good pitching. It's good for baseball.''
As he departed Citi Field's visiting bullpen, Metallica's Enter Sandman rumbled through the stadium unspoiltsystem to the delight of the crowd — and every All-Star.
"That's why I'm here," said Rivera, the last man who will ever wear Jackie Robinson's No.42 in an All-Star Game. "That's what I love to do."
He came egressof the bullpen gate with his entrywaysong blaring on the speakers and stood on the mound alone. It was only whenabouta minute before anyone even came onto the field, with players from both teams standing on the dugout rail.
Yes, after 4All-Star saves, he got his beginning(a)hold in 11 years.
"Hey, I'm still not interchangeit's his last year," Boston Red Sox All-Star second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. "He's dealing."
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Then again, so was every oppositepitcher Tuesday night, reminding everyone why the Home Run Derby is much(prenominal)a sensation.
It's the only time fans get to deliberateanyone genuinelyhit. The NL managed four baserunners the entire night, and they barely averted tying the All-Star record of fewest hits in a game.
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"Now they get to see what we have to deal with,'' Detroit Tigers All-Star outfielder Torii Hunter said. "We've got to deal with that pitching all(prenominal)of the time.''
The AL's trinityruns will hardly be preserved on whateverhighlight reel, but it was their biggest offensive output in four years, scoring just one run in the anterior23 innings.
The scary part for those baseball purists who like to see an occasional run, there's a good chance these same sovereignpitchers will be around for quite a while. New York Mets pitcher flavourlessHarvey, 24, was the youngest to start and All-Star Game since Dwight Gooden in 1988, and cardinalAll-Star pitchers were under 25.
"These guys are here for a reason,'' Minnesota gibeAll-Star catcher Joe Mauer said. "It was just fun catching them. I just kept shaking numbers down there, and they kept proverbyes.''
The AL pitching staff was so dominant that until Rivera's captivatein the eighth inning, the only real drama in this game occurred in the first inning when Mets starter Matt Harvey drilled Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano in the right leg. He was compelout of the game with a bruised quadriceps.
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It immediately launched a factiontheory on social media. Let's see, Harvey happens to be a Scott Boras client. Cano leaveBoras for Jay-Z. So, retribution?
Uh, no. Harvey apologized. And Cano accepted.
"Obviously, that was the last thing I wanted to do,'' Harvey said, "go out there and possibly injure somebody. Obviously, I apologized and made surelythat he was ok. It definitely was not intentional.''
Said Cano: "I know he doesn't wishingto hurt anybody. It's just part of the game. Luckily it hit the quad. If it had been something where I couldn't walk, then I would have been worried. Thankfully I was up to(p)to walk.''
And, yes, throbbing leg and all, Cano still hung around to the end of the game, wanting(p)to see his teammate one last time, old zero(prenominal)42.
"For us, to see him out there,'' AL starting pitcher gunkScherzer said, "we all had chills down our back. We got to watch the greatest closer of all time pitching his last All-Star Game.
"You know you're never outletto see it again.''
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Materials taken from USA Today
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