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In the longest All-Star Game in history, Michael Young's sacrifice fly delivered the final blow, allowing the AL to defeat the NL in 15 innings, 4-3. In the 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, it was a memorable finish to perhaps the final national event held on the storied Bronx stage.

The game's final twist took hold with the Phillies' Brad Lidge on to work the 15th. Justin Morneau opened with a single to center. Dioner Navarro stroked a one-out hit and Drew walked to load the bases before Young lifted a sacrifice fly to right, with Corey Hart's throw home just a touch too late.

Tampa Bay's Scott Kazmir pitched a scoreless top half in relief, logging his first All-Star victory with three outs of work.

In the end, the American League extended its unbeaten streak to a record 12 games, improving to 11-0-1 since the National League's last victory in 1996 at Philadelphia. The decision secures the American League's home-field advantage in the World Series, the sixth consecutive year since Major League Baseball began using the All-Star Game to decide placement of the Fall Classic.

Before Tuesday's game, AL manager Terry Francona had recognized the magnitude of the contest, saying, "Something will happen in this game that people will probably talk about for a long time." Yet Francona probably didn't count on how many things could happen -- or how much time would elapse.

The thrilling conclusion couldn't have come without the gifted right hand of Mariano Rivera -- it was where the final All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium belonged, where Francona wanted it, and almost as importantly, where the thousands filling the grandstands demanded it be.

The career Yankee entered a tie game with one out in the ninth to the strains of "Enter Sandman," satisfying the wishes of most of the crowd of 55,632. Rivera's work in the ninth was typically efficient -- he fanned Ryan Ludwick swinging and catcher Dioner Navarro atoned for an earlier throwing error by gunning down Cristian Guzman stealing second, completing a double play.

Rivera opened the 10th catching Nate McLouth looking at a third strike, but Russell Martin shot a single through the right side and Miguel Tejada followed suit up the middle. Rivera needed the help of his infield, which deftly turned a 4-6-3 double play on a slowly hit Dan Uggla hopper to preserve the tie. Kansas City's Joakim Soria recorded five outs that would prove just as important, and Baltimore's George Sherrill also logged seven outs -- including pinning the bases loaded in the 12th.

Uggla's remarkable troubles will be remembered as a footnote of the AL's 10th-inning near-miss. With Aaron Cook on in relief for the first of three dangerous innings, Young reached when a bouncer hit the Florida second baseman's glove and trickled away, and Carlos Quentin shot a hard liner through Uggla's legs for a second error.

After an intentional walk, Grady Sizemore and Evan Longoria both bounced out, and Cook got Morneau to ground out on a tantalizingly slow-hit ball. McLouth's strong one-hop throw home on Young's 11th-inning single nailed Navarro and allowed the game to proceed deeper into the New York night, once again helping Cook evade trouble.

Matt Holliday and J.D. Drew traded two-run homers in the contest, and rookie Longoria came through with a clutch ground-rule double in the eighth, taking Jonathan Papelbon off the hook. With a full house chanting Rivera's name, his Boston closing counterpart permitted a go-ahead run in the eighth, further lowering his New York popularity rating.

Miguel Tejada opened the eighth with a soft single to right, drawing boos. After a strikeout, Tejada stole second and moved to third on Navarro's throwing error, setting up Adrian Gonzalez's sacrifice fly to left field, briefly giving the National League the one-run advantage.

The AL wasn't finished, evening the game in the bottom half against the Mets' Billy Wagner. Sizemore rapped a two-out single to right and stole second base before Longoria stroked a ground-rule double over the left-field wall, tying the game at 3.

Holliday opened scoring in the fifth, logging his first All-Star Game hit by reaching the Angels' Ervin Santana with a solo home run to right field. The NL added a run in the sixth on Justin Duchscherer, as Hanley Ramirez opened with a hit and moved to third on a single before Lance Berkman got the run home with a sacrifice fly.

Trailing, 2-0, the AL evened the contest in the seventh, facing Edinson Volquez in his All-Star Game debut. Morneau opened with a double to center and moved up on a groundout. After a strikeout, Drew cracked a two-run homer in his first All-Star Game at-bat, tying the game and briefly drawing cheers for a Boston player.

Appropriate for the festivities, Derek Jeter -- one of three representing the Yankees -- found himself in a relatively big spot. The AL moved two runners on base against Arizona's Dan Haren, with Joe Mauer singling off the pitcher's glove and Dustin Pedroia working a walk.

Ichiro fanned for the second out, but Jeter -- with cameras flickering throughout the stands -- tapped back to the mound. Jeter earlier singled and stole a base, exiting in the top of the fifth 1-for-3 and receiving a loud ovation. Alex Rodriguez, the Majors' leading vote-getter, finished 0-for-2.

Both starting pitchers worked two innings, striking out three, as neither factored in the decision. The Indians' Cliff Lee allowed a hit, striking out three, and the Brewers' Ben Sheets also allowed a hit, walking two.

It was a Midsummer Classic -- in every sense of the phrase -- taking place in a building best known for its immaculate stage.

It was the House that Ruth Built, where Lou Gehrig proclaimed himself the luckiest man, where Joe DiMaggio jolted and where Mickey Mantle became an idol to millions. It was where Don Larsen was perfect, where Roger Maris toppled the Babe and where Reggie Jackson forever acquired October with just three swings.

Major League Baseball's pregame on-field ceremony featured what was believed to be history's largest gathering of stars. Forty-nine Hall of Famers took part, spilling out of a red-curtained gateway and walking to their former positions, each wearing dark jackets and the caps of the franchise where they made their greatest marks toward Cooperstown.

They were joined by the starters from both leagues; today's best players meeting the living legends. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner personally delivered the first pitch ball to the mound, riding from the bullpen via golf cart.

After receiving the handoff from Steinbrenner, who appeared to be crying, the ceremonial pitch was tossed by four Yankees Hall of Famers. Reggie Jackson threw to Rodriguez, Yogi Berra to Joe Girardi, Whitey Ford to Jeter and Goose Gossage to Rivera, as red, white and blue metallic streamers fell upon the outfield.

Tuesday marked the fourth and final time that Yankee Stadium hosted an All-Star Game, with Midsummer Classics also having been held in 1939, 1960 and 1977.

It was the first time that a ballpark hosted an All-Star Game in its final year and the eighth All-Star Game to be held in New York; the Polo Grounds hosted the event in 1934 and 1942, Ebbets Field in 1949 and Shea Stadium in 1964. The 2009 All-Star Game is set to be held at St. Louis' Busch Stadium.