SEATTLE —

Elias Díaz hit a two-run homer off Félix Bautista in the eighth inning, and the National League snapped a nine-game losing streak in the All-Star Game with a 3-2 win over the American League on Tuesday night.

The NL won for the first time since an 8-0 victory in 2012 in Kansas City thanks to Díaz, a catcher who became the first Rockies player to win the All-Star MVP award.

Díaz, who was non-tendered by the Pirates at the end of 2019, drove a 2-2 pitch from Baltimore's hard-throwing closer deep to left to put the NL in front. Díaz was the lone representative for Colorado in his first All-Star Game appearance.

He has nine homers this season, but hadn't hit a long ball since June 23 against the Los Angeles Angels.

"This means a lot to me, to my family," he said. "Being in the ASG for me is amazing."

For most of the night, the All-Star Game was a pitchers' duel highlighted by a couple big hits and some excellent defense.

It got nervous for the NL in the ninth. Wander Franco flied out to the warning track leading off against Philadelphia closer Craig Kimbrel, who issued two-out walks to Kyle Tucker and Seattle star Julio Rodríguez.

Kimbrel recovered to strike out José Ramírez to end it. Kimbrel also pitched in the previous NL win, recording two outs in 2012.

Yandy Díaz hit a solo homer in the second inning and Bo Bichette's sacrifice fly in the sixth inning gave the AL a 2-1 lead.

J.D. Martinez doubled and scored on Luis Arraez's single in the fourth against Seattle's George Kirby, tying it at 1. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. appeared to tie the game again in the seventh when his shot down the left-field line was originally ruled a homer but was overturned as a foul ball on replay.

The All-Star Game returned to the Emerald City for the first time since 2001 when the Mariners were in the middle of their magical 116-win regular season, Cal Ripken Jr. said goodbye to the All-Star stage and Tommy Lasorda took a tumble.

Gerrit Cole became the first New York Yankees pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Roger Clemens in that 2001 game. He needed a pair of spectacular leaping catches from Adolis García and Randy Arozarena near the wall to escape the first inning unscathed.

Pitching was the story of the night. Only nine balls were hit over 100 mph. There were 20 combined strikeouts, including Camilo Doval silencing the home crowd with a strikeout of Rodríguez in the seventh inning where four of the five pitches topped 100 mph.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt gave St. Louis the lead with his second homer of the game as the Cardinals tightened up the NL wild-card race with a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a doubleheader on Wednesday.

The Reds entered the day tied with San Diego for the second NL wild card, 2 1/2 games of St. Louis and Philadelphia.

The Cardinals trailed 4-3 before Goldschmidt drove his third homer of the series into the last section of seats in deep right-center with Tommy Edman on first base.

The doubleheader was scheduled after Tuesday’s game was postponed because of rain.

The Reds have lost four straight for the first time since dropping four in a row from July 16-19.

The Cardinals bashed three homers among their 12 hits off Wade Miley (11-5), both season highs for the left-hander. Miley gave up five runs with one walk and two strikeouts in four innings for his first loss in 16 starts since coming off the injured list on May 30.

Reliever Génesis Cabrera (3-5) pitched two scoreless innings for St. Louis. Giovanny Gallegos pitched the seventh for his fourth save and second in the Cardinals’ last two games, both against Cincinnati.

The Reds scored three runs in the third inning, equaling the total from their previous three games combined. Miley drove in two with an opposite-field double to left.

Goldschmidt, the game’s second batter, launched a changeup off the ribbon message board atop the center field batter’s eye. He now has 24 homers this season.

St. Louis right-hander Miles Mikolas lasted only three innings in his third start since coming off the injured list on August 20. He allowed five hits and four runs with one walk and three strikeouts.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Ryan Helsley (right elbow stress reaction) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. He has been out since August 17.

Reds: OF Jesse Winker, on the 10-day injured list since August 16 with an intercostal strain, started swinging a bat on Tuesday, manager David Bell said.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Begin a three-game series at the NL Central-leading Brewers on Friday night with RHP Adam Wainwright (13-7, 2.95 ERA) on the mound. St. Louis has won each of Wainwright’s last eight starts at Milwaukee since a 4-3 loss on July 18, 2012.

Reds: RHP Vladimir Gutierrez (9-5, 4.03), Friday’s starter against Detroit, allowed seven hits and five runs in a season-low three innings in his last start on Saturday at Miami.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Michael Hermosillo homered for the first time since 2018, Ian Happ and Sergio Alcántara also went deep, and the depleted Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 on Wednesday, taking two of three from their playoff-contending NL Central rivals.

“If you can come out of there with a series win you feel really good, and it feels like it’s been a little while since we’ve done that,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “That was really just a good offensive team. Our pitching showed up.”

Frank Schwindel and Rafael Ortega also drove in runs for the Cubs, who ended a 12-game skid a day earlier. Schwindel, Chicago’s regular first baseman since Anthony Rizzo was dealt to the Yankees at the deadline, had six hits in the series and is batting .329.

Adrian Sampson, called up from Triple-A Iowa earlier in the day to pitch in the majors for the first time since 2019, held the suddenly quiet Reds to one run and five hits in four innings.

Relievers Manuel Rodríguez (1-2), Rowan Wick, Adam Morgan and Trevor Megill blanked Cincinnati over the final five innings, allowing one hit.

Reds starter Tyler Mahle (10-4) gave up five runs and eight hits in five innings. Jeff Hoffman came on in the sixth and promptly surrendered Alcántara’s homer.

After exploding for 14 runs in the series opener Monday night, Cincinnati managed a single run in each of the last two games.

The Cubs banged out 12 hits and won for the fourth time in 19 games since trading stars Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Báez and Craig Kimbrel.

Happ’s first-inning homer was his second in as many games. Hermosillo, called up from Triple-A on Tuesday, slammed a 441-foot, two-run bomb into the upper deck in left field during a four-run second.

Tyler Naquin homered in the second, the only time Cincinnati got a runner past second base. The top five Reds hitters combined to go 1-for-19.

“We know every game takes our best,” Reds manager David Bell said. “Today (Sampson) pitched a good game against us. He threw the ball inside, and did a good job against the top of our lineup.”

BATTLING FOR A ROLE

Sampson said he knew when he was called up that he could stake his claim for a spot in Chicago’s rotation.

“Right now it’s almost ‘Game of Thrones’-esque,” he said. “We’re being asked what kind of role do we want to play in this organization going forward. It’s ours for the taking. If you want it, you got to go get it. I really want this job, and I’m going to do everything I can to be successful.”

IMAGINE THAT

Hermosillo’s only other major league homer was on Sept. 28, 2018, when he was with the Los Angeles Angels. The opposing pitcher for Texas was Sampson.

“I didn’t feel like that was something I should bring up,” Hermosillo said. Sampson said he didn’t realize it until Wednesday.

SHORTSTOP OF THE FUTURE?

The Reds are getting their first good look this season at their top minor league prospect, Jose Barrero, who had been tearing it up in the minors. Barrero — then known as Jose Garcia — was with the major league club last season for 24 games but hit poorly. The 23-year-old was recalled Tuesday after hitting .303 with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs at Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. He got the start Wednesday and went 2 for 3 with a walk, including a ninth-inning double.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: RHP Adbert Alzolay (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Cubs: After a day off, Chicago returns to Wrigley Field to open a weekend series Friday against the Kansas City Royals.

Reds: Right-hander Luis Castillo (6-12, 4.51 ERA) is set to go as Cincinnati opens a four-game set with the Miami Marlins.