Melky Takes All-Star Game MVP

If your a Giants fan, you had to love how things turned out in Kansas City Tuesday, with the Giants four starters stealing the show from right out of the gate.

Melky Gets MVP Trophy

First off, for all the New York Met fans that were very bitter over the fact that Matt Cain and Pablo Sandoval beat out R.A. Dickey and David Wright to start the game; time to start singing a different tune after the way those two played. In fact, all the Giants' All-Stars proved their worth and were instrumental in helping the NL beat the AL for home field advantage in the Fall Classic. Melky Cabrera got the NL going in the top of the first inning with a bloop hit to left field, a knock we've seen regularly from the all-star right fielder. That really opened things up for the National League, as they started roping Justin Verlander. The biggest blow though didn't come until Pablo Sandoval stepped up and cleared the bases with a 3-run triple that scored starting catcher, Buster Posey. The NL had a 5-0 lead before the AL even stepped up to the plate, and Matt Cain did what he does so well, and shut down the AL in the first and second innings. Cabrera wasn't done though, and connected for a 2-run jack off Matt Harrison in his old stomping grounds which had to feel good. Melky wound up with a 2-3 night, 1 HR, 2 runs and 2 RBI and showed the baseball world that it's no accident he's leading the league in hits.

The "Melk Man", as they've come to call him in the Bay Area, was presented with the MVP trophy just minutes after the NL finished off the 8-0 romp on the junior circuit, and that capped off a terrific day for the Orange in Black. Not only did all the Giants' starters impact the outcome, but the two players Met fans where bickering about both delivered big. I said immediately after Sandoval was voted in as the starting 3rd basemen that David Wright was the more deserving player. However, there have been so many times when a New York or Boston player who's built a rep off his name alone gets voted into the game and deserving

Pablo's 3-Run Triple

players from lesser markets are left off. The way I see it, Pablo got this start for how well he's played when he's been out on the field the last 2 seasons. I know he's gotten hurt each year and missed a significant chunk of time, but if he were healthy all year, I have no doubt he'd be out-producing Wright. Not saying Wright didn't deserve to start, but Pablo made it this year, and he showed you exactly why once he stepped up to bat in the first inning. Now with Cainer, that was a decision by LaRussa, to match Cain up with Posey, and it too worked terrifically. Sure, R.A. Dickey's had a great first half, but LaRussa was managing to win and nothing else. He made the right move.

The All-Star break is barely 2 days in, and I'm already primed for the 2nd half. We'll glance back at the Giants' first half, and give some keys to the second here on Thursday.