Cease, 10 AL relievers silence NL in 15-K shutout

PHILADELPHIA -- Dylan Cease struck out the side in the first inning, combining with 10 relievers on a three-hitter in a show of pitching dominance that led the American League to a 4-0 win over the National League in Tuesday night's All-Star Game. Cody Bellinger, who was named the game's MVP, hit a two-run single and Ben Rice followed with an RBI single in the first against Cristopher Sanchez of the host Philadelphia Phillies. Miguel Vargas of the Chicago White Sox added an eighth-inning home run off the Los Angeles Dodgers' Justin Wrobleski, who was pitching on his 26th birthday, for the game's only extra-base hit. The AL won for the 18th time in 23 games and holds a 49-45-2 advantage overall. Tuesday night marked the 10th shutout in All-Star Game history, and the first since the AL's 3-0 win in 2013. Singles by Juan Soto in the fourth, Pete Crow-Armstrong in the eighth and Otto Lopez in the ninth were the only hits by the NL, which failed to advance a runner past first. Pitchers combined for 27 strikeouts, including 15 by the AL. The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.