Ichiro shines brightest with inside-the-park HR

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Second in the majors with a ,359 average, Suzuki joked about his power.

“If I’m allowed to hit .220, I could probably hit 40,” he said, “but nobody wants that.”

Before a ballpark record crowd of 43,965 on an overcast evening, Mays was honored for being perhaps the greatest five-tool player in the sport’s history. After the All-Stars were introduced, he walked in from center field, flanked by Bonds and Derek Jeter, between two rows of the assembled players. The tribute was similar — but less emotional — than 1999’s ceremony honoring Ted Williams at Boston’s Fenway Park.

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Griffey was the early star. He put the NL ahead with an RBI single in the first off Dan Haren, then threw out Alex Rodriguez trying to score from second in the fourth on Ivan Rodriguez’s single.

Crawford homered with two outs in the sixth against Francisco Cordero to make it 3-1. The ball went a little to the center-field side of Suzuki’s shot, about 20 feet from the sign that totals Bonds’ homers, currently 751. A fan appeared to reach over the brick wall, about 19 feet high, and gather up the ball.

Griffey drove in the NL’s second run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half against Justin Verlander after Carlos Beltran nearly duplicated Suzuki’s shot off the wall but was held to a triple by Vladimir Guerrero. Martinez hit the 18th pinch homer in All-Star history, a two-run drive in the eight off Mets closer Billy Wagner.

Bonds didn’t seem to mind that he wasn’t the hero.

“It was fabulous. It was great,” he said. “Another chapter to my career.”

Notes: The AL and NL began the night tied with 326 runs each in All-Star play. ... There have been two inside-the-parkers in the ballpark: by Fernando Vina on May 9, 2000, and Dustan Mohr on Aug. 4, 2004. ... Young pitched the fifth inning and made pickoff throws to Lee. The pair were suspended for brawling at Wrigley Field on June 16 after Young hit Lee with a pitch. ... Jeter was 1-for-3, leaving him at 8-for-16 in All-Star play. ... After the game, a recording of Yankee Stadium public address announcer Bob Sheppard invited fans to next year’s game in New York.

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