Tigers help AL win All-Star game

The Tigers were not only well-represented at the All-Star Game at New York's Citi Field, they represented well in the American League's 3-0 shutout of the National League.

First, Tigers starter Max Scherzer, 13-1 so far this season, started for the AL and pitched a perfect first inning. He retired Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips on a flyout, St. Louis' Carlos Beltran on a groundout and Cincinnati's Joey Votto on a called strikeout.

Scherzer decided not to emulate teammate Justin Verlander, who came out throwing over 100 miles an hour in the first inning of last season's All-Star Game and gave up five runs.

"I teased him a little bit about it, as everybody did," Scherzer told the MLB Network after the game. "It was more about me enjoying the moment. When this is your first game, and for me to be able to start this game, with all the great pitchers in the American League, I was just so honored."

In his first All-Star Game, Scherzer needed just 12 pitches, his last one to Votto a 99 mile-an-hour fastball.

"I felt like tonight I was able to go out and show everybody what I've been doing," Scherzer said. "I was able to throw multiple change-ups, I was able to show the curveball I've been working on and I've always got a good fastball. I'm really happy how things turned out tonight."

But while that set the tone for the Tigers and the American League, it was not the biggest highlight for Detroit fans.

In his second at-bat of the game, Miguel Cabrera lost his bat into the stands, got a new one and promptly doubled off of Arizona's Patrick Corbin. Cabrera scored the game's first run on a sacrifice fly by Toronto's Jose Bautista.

Cabrera also showed off several fine defensive plays at third base, prompting praise from MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds.

"I don't think people realize how good an athlete this guy is playing third base," Reynolds said. "He's been able to move all over. He signed as a shortstop. You got a chance to see in this All-Star Game why he's so special."

The Tigers did not figure in the American League's other two runs.

However, Jhonny Peralta singled in the eighth but was erased on Torii Hunter's double play after Hunter pinch hit for his former Angels teammate, Mike Trout.

Prince Fielder led off the ninth with something unexpected, a triple that went off the glove of St. Louis second baseman Matt Carpenter.

A delighted Fielder slid into third head-first and got up with a smile and a "Woo!"

The Tigers ended up a home run off the cycle as they tied the National League All-Stars with three hits.

But the biggest and best moment of the night came in the eighth inning, when Tigers manager Jim Leyland, manager of the American League squad, brought New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera in.

The rest of the All-Stars stayed off the field -- not by design -- and gave Rivera a standing ovation as he headed to the mound with his song, Metallica's "Enter Sandman," playing.

Rivera needed just 16 pitches, all his trademark cutter, to dispatch the National League batters in his final All-Star Game.

"Jimmy discussed that with me because he want to make sure that I pitched," Rivera told the MLB Network. "I was OK with it. It has been a long time since I've pitched the eighth inning but I'm OK. I wanted to pitch. Baseball, anything can happen so as long as I pitched, I was fine with it."

Scherzer had said before the All-Star Game that the one player he was looking most forward to meeting was Rivera.

"I knew he was a great pitcher but when I first started learning about him, I didn't realize he just had one pitch," Scherzer said. "As I got older, I realized he was doing this with just one cutter and no one can hit it.

"As you get older and older, you start appreciating how much talent he has and to be able to do this season after season after season, and to be able to do it as long as he has, it makes him the greatest closer of all time."

Rivera earned MVP honors for the game and for his career.

Scherzer earned memories that should last a lifetime.

"I came in here enjoying everything about it," Scherzer said. "This is my first All-Star Game and I enjoyed every second of it, so I was never nervous or anything. We had our whole (coaching) staff here, we had six Tigers here and we all played well tonight,. I just thought we did a great job of representing the city of Detroit and the American League."

Now that the American League has secured home-field advantage for the World Series, it's now up to the Tigers to try to get back there.

"As a team, we've got to get to the postseason," Scherzer said. "Once you get to the postseason, anything can happen and I think we have the talent to be able to do that."