The American League started the 86th All-Star Game with a home run and ended with home-field advantage for the World Series — for the third year in a row. The final score at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park Tuesday night: 6-3.
AL's Mike Trout started the game with a bang, hitting a home run in the first at-bat.
"It was the fourth homer to lead off an All-Star Game in the event's history and the first since Joe Morgan in 1977," MLB.com reports.
Trout also became the first player to win consecutive MVP awards, ESPN reports.
He'll probably have a lot of chances to win another one. The Associated Press notes that he's part of a leaguewide youth movement:
"A season after the retirement of Derek Jeter dropped the curtain on the turn-of-century greats, the 23-year-old Trout was among six starting position players under 25 — the most since 1965."
Lest you think National League didn't put up a fight, we'll point you toward Aroldis Chapman's pitches at the top of the ninth, three of which hit 103 mph.
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Aroldis Chapman strikes out the side on 14 pitches, 12 of them 100 mph or better. #ASG #TheChapmanShow. pic.twitter.com/Dv4mehepwX
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 15, 2015
