enlarge The Associated Press

J.D. Drew of the Red Sox, right, is greeted by Minnesota's Justin Morneau after hitting a two-run homer in the seventh inning that pulled the American League into a 2-2 tie Tuesday night in the All-Star game at Yankee Stadium. The AL won 4-3 in the 15th inning and Drew was the MVP.

LONGEST ALL-STAR GAMES

15 INNINGS: 2008, AL, 4-3; 1967, NL, 2-1

14: 1950, NL, 4-3

13: 1987, NL, 2-0

12: 1970, NL, 5-4; 1955, NL, 6-5

11: 2002, tie

10: 1994, NL, 8-7; 1972, NL, 4-3; 1996, NL, 2-1; 1961, NL, 5-4

NEW YORK — Baseball’s All-Stars came to say goodbye to Yankee Stadium – and what a long, long goodbye it was.

In a game that started Tuesday night and faded well into this morning, Justin Morneau slid home just in time on Michael Young’s sacrifice fly in the 15th inning, giving the American League a 4-3 victory that extended its All-Star game unbeaten streak to 12.

Young ended a 4-hour, 50-minute marathon at 1:37 a.m., with the grand old ballpark half empty. It was a good thing, too. Neither team had any pitchers left in the bullpen.

The NL was given a pregame pep talk by Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, whose motto is: “Let’s play two!” And they nearly did, matching the longest All-Star game ever.

Morneau started the winning rally with a leadoff single against loser Brad Lidge, and Ian Kinsler hit a low liner to left that Ryan Ludwick caught with a dive. After Dioner Navarro singled, J.D. Drew walked to load the bases.

Young lofted a fly to right and Cory Hart’s throw home took two bounces and was slightly to the first-base side of the plate. Catcher Brian McCann gloved the ball and tried a sweep tag, but Young sneaked his right foot in, barely ahead of the tag. Plate umpire Derryl Cousins made the safe call, and the AL players left in the dugout rushed out to celebrate.

The AL improved to 6-0 since the All-Star game began determining home-field advantage in the World Series. And it even ended an old hex: It had been 0-9-1 in extra innings against its older rival.

Young, who got the winning hit off Trevor Hoffman in the 2006 All-Star game at Pittsburgh, gave the win to Tampa Bay’s Scott Kazmir, the 12th AL pitcher.

Drew was picked as the MVP, with his two-run homer in the seventh making it 2-all. Being from Boston, he was booed when presented with his trophy.

The only other AL player with an All-Star-ending RBI was Red Sox great Ted Williams, who hit a three-run, ninth-inning homer in 1941.

Center fielder Nate McLouth threw out a runner at the plate in the bottom of the 11th inning, and National League pitcher Aaron Cook wriggled out of three jams to help keep the game tied 3-all after 14 innings.

Tampa Bay rookie Evan Longoria tied it for the AL with an RBI double off Billy Wagner with two outs in the eighth. Longoria squandered two chances to win it later, however, and the Americans couldn’t take advantage of a record three errors by Florida second baseman Dan Uggla.

The NL was trying to snap an 0-10-1 skid in the Midsummer Classic since its most recent victory in 1996 at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium.

It was the longest All-Star game by time. It also was the most innings in an All-Star game since the NL won 2-1 in a record 15 innings in 1967 at Anaheim, Calif.

The last time the All-Star game went into extras was the infamous 7-all tie in 2002 at Milwaukee’s Miller Park. That game was called after 11 innings because both teams ran out of pitchers. The NL had been 9-0-1 in extra-inning games.

Cook escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam for the National League in the 10th by inducing three straight grounders. He gave up three singles in the 11th, but McLouth cut down slow-footed Dioner Navarro at the plate on Young’s ground single up the middle for the second out.

Carlos Quentin then bounced to third with runners at second and third to end the inning.

Carlos Guillen opened the bottom of the 12th with a double and went to third on Grady Sizemore’s groundout. Cook then fanned Longoria and walked Morneau intentionally before Kinsler grounded out.

The AL was 3-for-22 with runners in scoring position.Baltimore lefty George Sherrill escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 12th by striking out Uggla and Adrian Gonzalez.

Mariano Rivera took over on the mound for the AL in the ninth, delighting the sellout crowd. He got...