SAN DIEGO -- No matter the names, the AL dominates the All-Star Game in the 21st Century and starts the World Series at home.Back in 2003, when a This Time It Counts sign was put up in right at Chicagos U.S. Cellular Field, the stars included Roger Clemens and Hank Blalock. This year, the key names were baseball Royalty: Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez.And because they came up big Tuesday night, Kansas City would open the World Series at home again if it wins a third straight AL pennant -- a big if.It just brings that sense of comfort to the team and gives you a jump-start for the whole Series, Hosmer said after homering, driving in two runs and earning the MVP Award in the American Leagues 4-2 win over the Nationals.The Game 1 Series host has won six of the last seven titles and 24 of the last 30.I would have loved to have that seventh game last year in San Francisco, manager Dusty Baker said in 2003, thinking back to when his Giants lost Game 7 at Anaheim the previous fall.Home teams have taken a 2-0 Series lead in six of the last 13 years. No visiting team has won the first two games since the 1999 New York Yankees, who swept Atlanta.Hopefully this is something we can all rally upon for the second half and find a way to use that home-field advantage, Hosmer saidHosmer and Perez homered in a six-pitch span, and the Kansas City duo drove in all the ALs runs. The defending World Series champion Royals are languishing at 45-43, seven games off the AL Central lead and in the middle of the wild-card race.Before the game, Royals manager Ned Yost told the AL team of the importance of earning home-field.We dont know who is going to be in the World Series. We dont know who is going to be representing the American League, but we know how much that home-field advantage helped us, Hosmer recalled his manager saying.The AL cut its deficit to 43-42 with two ties -- including the infamous 7-7, 11-inning game at Milwaukee in 2002 that sparked baseball officials to link Series home field to the All-Stars the following year.After two decades of NL domination starting in the early 1960s -- 20 wins in 21 games -- the AL has nearly caught up. The NLs scoring lead is just 360-359.Even the three NL players who became All-Star MVPs in the last 13 years now play for the AL -- Prince Fielder, Brian McCann and Melky Cabrera.Of course, home-field isnt everything. Speaking in 2005, then-Cardinals manager Tony La Russa thought back to Bostons Series sweep the previous year.I think that if we had started the series in St. Louis, he said, maybe we would have lost in five. Shohei Ohtani Jersey . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. Michael Hermosillo Angels Jersey . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. https://www.cheapangels.com/2813j-tim-salmon-jersey-angels.html . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. Andrelton Simmons Angels Jersey . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury. Taylor Ward Jersey . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. PHOENIX -- Colin Rea is getting plenty of run support from his San Diego Padres teammates, but he hasnt needed much help during his past three starts.Rea (5-3, 4.79 ERA) looks to continue his recent hot streak Wednesday night in the final game of a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.Over his past three starts, Rea has allowed five earned runs on 12 hits over 17 1/3 innings with 18 strikeouts and seven walks.San Diego has scored 60 runs in his 15 starts, and adjusting for his innings pitched, is averaging 6.6 runs per game, the second-highest figure on the team.Reas resurgence coincides with the Padres recent success. Despite a 7-5 loss Tuesday in the middle game of the series, San Diego has eight wins in its past 14 games.On Wednesday, the Padres also will benefit from the likely return of catcher Derek Norris, who sat out Tuesday after being hit on the left elbow by a bat on Monday.Thats the plan right now, Norris said. Ill get treatment during the day, but Ill be all right.Wil Myers, who was named to the National League All-Star team as the Padres lone representative, comes into Wednesday following a career-high-tying four-hit game that included his second career triple.Myers is hitting .353 (18-for-51) in his career at Chase Field with four doubles, two homers and the triple.You see the ball really well here, Myers said.Rea will be facing Diamondbacks right-hander Shelby Miller, whose 2016 has been largely forgettable.Hope that a stint on the 15-daay disabled list might help Miller (2-8, 6.dddddddddddd5 ERA) get his season on track, fueled by 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Philadelphia Phillies in his first start back, has faded.Over his past two starts, Miller has surrendered 12 runs on 20 hits over 12 innings. The lone positive was the right-handers ability to limit walks, as he allowed only four total his past four starts after exceeding that number in four of his other 10 starts.Once considered a playoff contender coming out of spring training, the Diamondbacks now are only one game ahead of the last-place Padres in the NL West.Arizona has struggled especially at home, posting a 15-31 record at Chase Field, better only than the Atlanta Braves 13-34 home mark. The Diamondbacks are looking to complete their first home series win since taking two of three from the Miami Marlins from June 10-12.Since beating Colorado on May 10 to raise their record to 17-18, the Diamondbacks have dropped 29 of their past 50.The overall and home record might have played in part in Tuesdays record-low attendance of 14,110 in the 18-year-old ballpark.It was a Tuesday night, Arizona manager Chip Hale said. We appreciate the people who were here. I thought we played well. The guys didnt let down because it wasnt a big crowd with a lot of emotion. They created their own emotion in the dugout. Thats baseball. ' ' '
