(Sports Network) - Mariano Rivera surpassed Dennis Eckersley for the most saves in All-Star Game history, closing the door for the fourth time as the American League used a late Adam Jones sacrifice fly to down the National League, 4-3, extending its unbeaten streak to 13 games.

Jones' eighth-inning sacrifice fly to right plated Detroit's Curtis Granderson, who tripled off the base of the left-field fence earlier in the frame. The American League is now 12-0-1 in the last 13 Mid-Summer Classics, and the AL champion will have home field in the World Series.

The American League's unbeaten streak is the longest in the game's history, surpassing the Senior Circuit's 11-game run from 1972-1982. The AL's last loss was a 6-0 decision at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium in 1996.

Jonathan Papelbon (1-0) pitched a flawless, albeit precarious, seventh saved by Carl Crawford's tremendous, homer-saving catch in left and Joe Nathan worked the eighth in front of Rivera. Crawford's catch and a 1-for-3 effort at the plate earned him the All-Star Game MVP Award.

"He hit it pretty good off the bat," said Crawford. "He hit it pretty good off the bat, and I didn't think it was going to carry that far. But it carried and I just tried to find the wall and was able to jump up and make a play on it."

San Diego's Heath Bell (0-1) took the loss, allowing two hits and one run with one strikeout and one walk during the eighth frame. San Francisco's Tim Lincecum started on the mound and allowed two runs -- one earned -- on two hits with a strikeout in two frames.

The first frame was a difference in defenses, as the American League jumped in front. Ichiro Suzuki singled to right and Derek Jeter was hit hard on the hand before Joe Mauer's chopper in front of the plate erased the Mariners speedster at third. Mark Teixeira then hit a grounder to Albert Pujols' right, he booted it as it rolled toward Chase Utley at second and Jeter scored.

"The ball was hit between second and first, and I kind of got lost a little bit," explained Pujols, who went 0-for-3 at the plate. "It handcuffed me because it went through Mauer's leg a little bit and I kind of lost that pitch. That's an error that you don't want to make early in the game like that. It cost us two runs."

Jason Bay singled to load the bases, and Josh Hamilton's force out plated the frame's second tally. In the home half, the AL flashed some leather on hard- hit grounders by Hanley Ramirez and Pujols in a 1-2-3 frame.

The National League's bats came alive in the bottom of the second with a three-spot off Roy Halladay to take the lead. David Wright blooped a single to shallow right with two outs then Shane Victorino followed with a solid single. Yadier Molina then went down after a low fastball and drove it to center for a base hit, scoring Wright and allowing Victorino to sprint into third. On Hamilton's attempt to nab the Phillies outfielder, the ball caromed past the third baseman and up against the wall down the line, giving Victorino home. Prince Fielder followed with a slicing run-scoring, ground-rule double down the left-field line for a 3-2 edge.

The slim edge stood until Mauer's double plated Jeter in the top of the fifth. Some tense moments for the AL came in the home seventh as Brad Hawpe jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Papelbon and drove it to deep left. Crawford timed his jump perfectly and caught the ball at its apex just above the wall, robbing the Rockies outfielder of a go-ahead homer. Miguel Tejada followed with another shot that was snagged at the warning track in right.

Game Notes

No player had more than one hit...Halladay, a hot topic of trade rumors during the All-Star break, gave up three runs on four hits in two frames...President Barack Obama threw out the first pitch, the fourth sitting U.S. President to do so at the All-Star Game. Obama's pitch to the hometown hero Pujols bounced just in front of the plate. Obama came out to cheers while wearing a Chicago White Sox jacket...There hasn't been a home run hit during an All-Star Game in St. Louis since Hoot Evers went deep at Sportsman's Park in 1948. There were no home runs hit in the 1957 or 1966 contests.







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