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The AL was already down 5-0 when Ortiz came to the plate for the first time in the bottom of the second. Facing NL starter Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants, Ortiz flied out to left field to end the inning.
Ortiz singled to left-center off the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw with one out in the fifth -- one of only six hits mustered by the AL. Ortiz advanced to second base on a single by Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoliand to third on New York Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson's groundout. Cleveland Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera walked to load the bases in what proved to be the AL's best scoring opportunity of the night, but the rally fizzled as Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler flied to left to end the fifth.
ESPNBoston | Ortiz 1-for-2 in AL's All-Star Game loss
Can't say I watched any of it, but sounds like Papi provided what little AL offense there was. Justin Verlander got lit up in the 1st (weird, huh?) and the AL just couldn't rally.
Also weird: I still can't get over that Papi was the only Red Sox player to make the team. I'm not complaining -- no one else deserved it. It's just amazing where "Red Sox Nation" went. Remember the days when Mark Loretta was getting voted to start?
Two more days off, and then back to the real thing. The Sox have a brutal schedule starting on Friday (at Tampa, vs. Chicago, vs. Toronto, at Texas, at New York, vs. Detroit, with only one off day), so we'll know relatively quickly what their chances are of making a run.
ESPNBoston | Jonathan Papelbon talks Boston exit | CSNNE | All-star pitchers taking note of Bard's control problems | Ortiz continues to cherish All-Star Game appearances | Globe | Jeter: Boston is where they really boo | Harper and Trout are fans of Middlebrooks | Baseball still cleaning up act | Herald | Fellow pitchers pulling for Sox' Bard | Red Sox and looking up at Rangers and Yankees
