Robinson Cano homered lead off the tenth inning and propel the American League to a 2-1 victory over the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game in Miami.

Robinson Cano MLB All-Star Game 2017

The Seattle Mariners second baseman smacked a 395-foot blast to right field to record the fourth extra-inning home run in All-Star history, and the first in 50 years. Cano took home MVP honors and a Corvette for his accomplishment.

“You come here and as a kid you watch (Ken) Griffey (Jr.) and all those guys that come to the All-Star Game, winning MVP. You want to get that feeling,” Cano said. “I already got it once for the Home Run Derby. I want to have this feeling.”

Griffey and Ichiro Suzuki are the only two other Mariners to win MVP (in 1992 and 2007, respectively).

The AL and NL combined for 23 strikeouts and were tied 1-1 after nine innings on Tuesday.

Cano, 34, was named to the AL All-Star team as an injury replacement for fellow Dominican Starlin Castro of the New York Yankees, Cano’s former team. Cano joined the Mariners in 2014 after eight seasons with the Yankees.

The MVP was the AL’s third choice at second base after Jose Altuve and Jonathan Schoop. 

Schoop scored the AL’s first run of the game by firing a two-out double in the fifth. He scored on a blooper by Miguel Sano that fell just inside the right-field line and out of reach of Bryce Harper. St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina tied it for the NL with a solo homer to deep right-center field in the sixth.

Late Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez — who died in a boating accident in September 2016, was also honored at Marlins Park on Tuesday night. Several of the deceased players’ teammates said kinds words about him before the game, and even opponents like the Washington Nationals’ Harper wore special cleats with Fernandez’s picture on them.

The outcome of this year’s All-Star Game did not determine home field advantage for the World Series, which is why both managers said prior to the contest that every player would have an opportunity to play on Tuesday.

MIAMI, FL – JULY 11: Robinson Cano #22 of the Seattle Mariners and the American League celebrates hitting a home run in the tenth inning against the National League during the 88th MLB All-Star Game at Marlins Park on July 11, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

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Pablo Mena

Article by Pablo Mena

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