The National League comes up short in a 3-2 loss

A three-run fourth inning proved to be the difference in a 3-2 win by the American League in the All-Star Game.

Clayton Kershaw got the start for the National League and allowed a leadoff single to Shohei Ohtani to get the game started. He got the last laugh though as he picked Ohtani off first and got through the inning unscathed.

Ronald Acuña Jr. got things started in the home half of the first as he lined a double off of Shane McClanhan into the left field corner.

Mookie Betts followed with a single that scored Acuña for the first run of the game. Paul Goldschmidt then hit a solo homer to left to put the NL up 2-0. Sandy Alcantara and Alek Manoah put up zeroes in the second while Joe Musgrove and Framber Valdez did the same in the third.

The American League got on the board in the fourth against Tony Gonsolin. Jose Ramirez led off the inning with a single and then came around to score on a monstrous two-run shot by Giancarlo Stanton. Byron Buxton followed with a solo shot of his own to give the AL a 3-2 lead.

Acuña stayed in the game through the fifth going 1-for-3. Dansby Swanson, Austin Riley and Travis d’Arnaud entered the game in the sixth. All three came to bat in the home half of the inning. Riley struck out against Nester Cortes Jr., Swanson drove a fly ball into right center that Julio Rodriguez ran down before d’Arnaud was hit by a pitch.

Riley dumped a single to right off of Clay Holmes to start the home half of the eighth for the National League’s first hit since the first inning. Riley was erased on a ground out by C.J. Cron and Swanson flew out for the second out. Liam Hendriks replaced Holmes and got d’Arnaud to fly out to center to bring the inning to an end.

Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase struck out the side in the ninth to end the game. The American League has now won nine straight All-Star Games. Acuña and Riley accounted for two of the National League’s five hits. Swanson, d’Arnaud and William Contreras went hitless in four at-bats.