Martinez's Homer Helps AL Stars Win

If the Indians go to the World Series this year, they'll have the home-field advantage -- thanks to Victor Martinez. Cleveland's catcher gave Tribe fans all over the nation a thrill by hitting a two-run homer as a pinch-hitter to help the American League win the All-Star Game, 5-4. Martinez connected off reliever Billy Wagner of the New York Mets with two outs in the eighth inning for a 5-2 lead.

The NL scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to get close in the game played in San Francisco, but the AL prevailed for the 10th consecutive year. The win gives the AL four home games in this fall's World Series.

Indians left-hander C.C. Sabathia pitched one scoreless inning, allowing one hit in the fifth to the Mets' Jose Reyes.

Cleveland's other representative, Grady Sizemore, came on as a defensive replacement in right field in the top of the eighth and struck out in his only plate appearance -- just before Martinez delivered.

Martinez, a switch-hitter batting right-handed against the left Wagner, lined a 2-0 fastball down the left-field line and over the wall to join other Cleveland players to homer in an All-Star Game.

Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau was the first Indians player to homer in an All-Star Game. He went deep as the leadoff batter in the top of the first inning of the 1942 game at the Polo Grounds in New York. He hit it off Mort Cooper of the St. Louis Cardinals, pitching in the first of his four All-Star appearances on the way to a 22-7 record that year.

In the 1954 game at Cleveland Stadium, Al Rosen's two homers in front of the home fans helped the AL to an 11-9 victory. Rosen, playing first base and batting fifth, hit a three-run homer off Hall of Famer Robin Roberts of Philadelphia in the fourth inning. He hit a two-run homer off Giants left-hander Johnny Antonelli in the fifth. Roberts (23) and Antonelli (21) combined for 44 wins that season.

Hall of Famer Larry Doby opened the eighth inning with a solo homer off Milwaukee right-hander Gene Conley for the Indians' third homer of the day.

From 1959-61, two All-Star Games were played. Cleveland's Rocky Colavito homered in the second contest in 1959 off Pittsburgh reliever Elroy Face in the eighth inning at the Los Angeles Coliseum as the AL won, 5-3.

The most memorable All-Star homer by an Indians player came in the 1997 game at Jacobs Field by Sandy Alomar Jr. He hit a two-run shot off the Giants' Shawn Estes in the bottom of the seventh to give the AL a 3-1 win. Alomar was voted MVP of the game.

Indians pitchers have given up a few All-Star homers, too.

Hall of Famer Bob Lemon yielded a two-run shot to the Cubs' Hank Sauer in the 1952 game at Philadelphia's Shibe Park.

In the second game in 1960 at Yankee Stadium, Cleveland's Gary Bell allowed a two-run homer to St. Louis' Ken Boyer in the ninth inning of the NL's 6-0 win.

In the 1972 game in Atlanta, one Hall of Famer got the best of another. Hank Aaron thrilled his home fans with a two-run homer in the sixth inning off the Indians' Gaylord Perry.

In 1995, Houston's Craig Biggio hit a solo shot off Cleveland's Dennis Martinez in the NL's 3-2 win at Rangers Ballpark.

A year later, Dodgers slugger Mike Piazza hit a solo homer off the Indians' Charles Nagy in the second inning of the NL's 6-0 win at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.

Barry Bonds hit his first All-Star homer off Cleveland's Bartolo Colon in the 1998 game at Coors Field in Denver. The three-run shot put the NL ahead in the fifth inning, but the AL scored three in the top of the sixth to give Colon the victory as his teammates went on to a 13-8 triumph.