MINNEAPOLIS -- Mike Trout tied a bow on perhaps the most perfect first inning anyone could've dreamed up for this All-Star Game.It was all too fitting, really, on a night the Angels' phenom earned MVP honors after going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, driving home the first and go-ahead runs in the American League's 5-3 win over the National League on Tuesday at Target Field."I'm speechless right row," Trout said on FOX after the game. "I can't thank the fans enough for voting me in and being here and thanks for everything." Derek Jeter, the face of a game he'll soon leave behind, led off the first with a double, bringing Trout to the plate against National League starter Adam Wainwright.
Already deemed by many as Jeter's heir apparent as baseball's next ambassador, Trout drew a full count before driving a pitch off the right-center-field wall that Yasiel Puig couldn't get to for a triple, sending home Jeter for the game's first run.Growing up in New Jersey, Trout was primarily a Phillies fan, "but I liked the way Jeter played," he said this week. "The way he carries himself on the field, he's a true professional."Trout was also responsible for putting the American League ahead for good in the fifth with an RBI double off Cardinals righty Pat Neshek.Trout improved to 4-for-7 (.571) with three extra-base hits in three All-Star Games."It's been a whole blur these past couple of days, just being a part of this moment," Trout said. "It's very special to me and my family."The Angels' other All-Star, shortstop Erick Aybar, entered the game in the eighth inning but did not get an at-bat.Jane Lee / MLB.com
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