National League defeats American League, 5-1, in MLB All-Star Game

Reporting from Phoenix — How long has it been since the National League won consecutive All-Star games? The Arizona Diamondbacks did not exist the last time it happened.

However, with Prince Fielder launching a long home run on the Diamondbacks’ home field and Roy Halladay setting the pitching tone with two perfect innings, the NL posted a 5-1 victory over the American League in Tuesday’s All-Star game.

Fielder was selected as most valuable player of the All-Star game, the first Milwaukee Brewers player to win that honor. The victory secured home-field advantage for the NL entry in the World Series.

The Brewers, who acquired reliever Francisco Rodriguez from the New York Mets on Tuesday night, start the second half tied for first place in the NL Central.

“Everything is awesome right now,” Fielder said.

The NL last repeated an All-Star victory in 1996, at Philadelphia’s now-demolished Veterans Stadium, when Mike Piazza and the late Ken Caminiti hit home runs.

Fielder became the first player in Brewers history to hit a home run in the All-Star game. The Diamondbacks are the only team for which no player has homered in the All-Star game.

The Arizona fans cheered Fielder on Tuesday after booing him loudly on Monday. Fielder, the captain of the NL team in the home-run derby, had omitted the Diamondbacks’ Justin Upton from the team.

“I probably would have booed myself too, if I was an Arizona fan,” Fielder said. “I didn’t take it personally.”

The winning pitcher, curiously enough, did not retire a batter. Tyler Clippard of the Washington Nationals entered the game with two on and two out in the fourth inning. Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers singled, but left fielder Hunter Pence of the Houston Astros threw out a runner trying to score, and Clippard did not return.

Fielder, who could command upwards of $100 million in free agency this fall, enhanced his resume with a three-run homer, a 410-foot blast off C.J. Wilson of the Rangers. Wilson had a rough outing in his first All-Star game, giving up all the runs the NL would need before getting an out.

After Adrian Gonzalez of the Boston Red Sox snapped a scoreless tie with a home run in the top of the fourth inning--the first home run in the All-Star game since 2008--Wilson took the mound in the bottom of the inning.

Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets and Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers led off with back-to-back singles. Fielder, who is tied for the NL lead in runs batted in with 72 and tied for second in home runs with 22, followed with the home run that gave the NL a 3-1 lead.

Andre Ethier of the Dodgers singled home a run in the fifth inning, and Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants doubled home another run in the seventh. Cliff Lee of the Phillies gave up three hits in 1-2/3 innings. The rest of the NL staff--nine pitchers besides Lee, starting with Halladay and ending with Brian Wilson of the Giants--gave up three hits in 7-1/3 innings.

bill.shaikin@latimes.com