2021 MLB All-Star Game as it happened: Shohei Ohtani gets the win for American League

The American League extended its MLB All-Star Game winning streak to eight, getting home runs from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Mike Zunino with starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani picking up the win in a 5-2 victory over the National League on Tuesday at Coors Field.

Ohtani retired all three batters he faced and went 0-for-2 at the plate. The AL opened the scoring in the second inning and didn’t look back, giving Ohtani the win in his first All-Star Game. Brewers right-hander Corbin Burnes took the loss and White Sox closer Liam Hendriks got the save.

Guerrero Jr. hit a monstrous solo home run in the third inning and added another RBI in the fifth to earn MVP honors.

Here’s how things unfolded in Denver:

AL wins 5-2, Liam Hendriks gets the save

The White Sox closer worked around a leadoff single (while mic'd up for the Fox broadcast for some reason) and picked up the save for the AL. It's the eighth consecutive win for the AL, which now holds a 46-43-2 advantage in the series.

Matt Barnes works out of eighth-inning jam; AL up 5-2 after 8

Boston's Matt Barnes gave up two hits and a walk to load the bases – bringing the go-ahead run to the plate – with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, but Kris Bryant's sinking line drive to left on a 3-0 pitch was caught on a nice sliding play by Jared Walsh to end the threat

NL pulls one back on passed ball: AL leads 5-2 late

With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Chris Bassitt's pitch skipped away from catcher Mike Zunino allowing Manny Machado to score for the NL.

Mike Zunino takes Taijuan Walker deep to make it 5-1

The Tampa Bay Rays catcher is an All-Star (with a .198 average) but flashed the power that got him to the game, hitting a solo home run off Mets right-hander Taijuan Walker in the top of the sixth.

J.T. Realmuto gets NL on the board

The Phillies catcher hit a solo home run off Tigers lefty Gregory Soto in the bottom of fifth to cut the NL's deficit to 4-1. Realmuto got the All-Star start after elected story Buster Posey suffered an injury last week that kept him out of the game.

American League leads 4-0 midway through

The AL jumped out in front in the second inning on Marcus Semien's RBI single, got a solo homer from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s in the third and then added two more in the top of the fifth.

AL pitchers – Shohei Ohtani, Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Nathan Eovaldi – limited the NL to two hits in the first four innings.

Vlad Jr. hits All-Star home run off Corbin Burnes

Facing Corbin Burnes in the top of the third inning, Guerrero hit a monstrous home run to left field – while Tatis Jr. was being interviewed at shortstop.

Ohtani pitches 1-2-3 inning

Leading off the game, Ohtani grounded out on a ball that required a nice backhanded play by NL second baseman Adam Frazier. In the bottom of the first, Ohtani set the NL down in order, retiring Fernando Tatis Jr. (fly ball), Max Muncy (ground ball) and Nolan Arenado (ground ball).

He was replaced on the mound for the second inning by Kyle Gibson. Ohtani came to the plate again in the second inning and grounded out to first base on the first pitch.

All-Star Game jerseys in real life

The much-maligned All-Star Game uniforms made their official on-field debut but ... they actually don't look that bad?

All-Star Game starting pitchers by the numbers

Max Scherzer: 7-4, 2.66 ERA, 134 strikeouts in 98 innings

Shohei Ohtani: 4-1, 3.49 ERA, 87 strikeouts in 67 innings

Vlad Jr. honors his dad with glove

Storms before first pitch in Denver

Vlad Jr., Tatis Jr. ready for their All-Star Game

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr. arrived at the MLB All-Star Game with distinctions befitting kings and have exceeded even the most lofty expectations assigned to them.

"You can’t live your life by what people say or expect you to do," Tatis said. "Every time I go out there to the field, I’m just the same kid playing the game I love and just enjoying it every single time."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shohei Ohtani gets MLB All-Star Game win; Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is MVP