Best matchup

	Power switch: Mark Teixeira took Dontrelle Willis deep in the sixth inning, his first home run this season batting right-handed. AP
	MAILBAG Submit a comment or question for Jacob. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

National League starter Chris Carpenter vs. the Red Sox. Well, at least the Sox's top three hitters -- Johnny Damon, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. This is what we did not get to see during last year's World Series, when the Cardinals were missing their top pitcher due to a biceps injury and went down meekly in four games. Carpenter acquitted himself well, wriggling out of a one-out jam by getting cleanup hitter Ramirez to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.

Best matchup we already saw during interleague play

Carpenter vs. the Red Sox. Yeah, the All-Star Game isn't what it used to be. If it were, MLB and FOX wouldn't feel the need to stuff this "It Counts" gimmick down our throats. One of the main reasons for the game's decline in stature has to be interleague play. Carpenter faced the Red Sox at Busch Stadium on June 8, taking the loss in a 4-0 game despite pitching well (6.0 IP, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K). The NL's second pitcher of the night, John Smoltz, faced five batters, two of whom he had already squared off against this season -- Orioles teammates Miguel Tejada and Brian Roberts.

Best managerial move

Tony La Russa took starting catcher Mike Piazza out when Roger Clemens came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth inning, sparing the fans from having to relive the horror of last year's starting NL battery and, more important, us writers from having to dig that old Piazza-Clemens feud story from out of its grave.

Worst managerial move

We're gonna go out of the box here and give this error to the fans for voting in a couple of guys onto the NL team -- Piazza and Carlos Beltran -- who had no business being in the game at all, much less the starting lineup. This really hamstrung La Russa's lineup, because he couldn't bring in three of his top power hitters -- Andruw Jones, Morgan Ensberg and Carlos Lee -- until the game was out of reach. The NL would have been better served with San Diego's Brian Giles or New York's Cliff Floyd in place of Beltran and any one of a number of catchers (San Diego's Ramon Hernandez, Chicago's Michael Barrett, Washington's Brian Schneider, etc.) in for Piazza.

Best at-bat

It was a night of firsts for Texas first baseman Mark Teixeira. To wit:

* First All-Star Game.

* First at-bat against Marlins left-hander Dontrelle Willis.

* First home run batting right-handed this season, against the aforementioned D-Train. Teixeira's at-bat lasted nine pitches, culminating with a 393-foot blast into the right-center field stands. Prior to the All-Star break, he had hit an AL-leading 25 home runs, all from the left side.

Best pitching performance

Houston closer Brad Lidge struck out the side in order in the eighth inning, fanning Melvin Mora, Mike Sweeney and Garret Anderson on a total of 11 pitches.

Best player who didn't get into the game

Otherwise known as the, "Thanks for showing up" award, it has to go to Pirates young star Jason Bay. It was a tough All-Star debut all-around for the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, who took the only oh-fer in the Home Run Derby.

Worst pregame reception

This honor has to go to Kenny Rogers. Thunderous boos rained down upon the Texas left-hander, and not just for what he did to those cameramen. Rogers' inclusion meant hometown pitching stud Jeremy Bonderman (11-5) did not make the team.

Worst in-game reception

Yep, Rogers. They booed his warmup session, they booed when he came in to pitch, and they especially booed when Jones took him deep with a man on in the seventh inning to break up the AL's shutout. Oh yeah, they booed when he walked off the field at the end of the inning, too.

Best pregame song played at Comerica Park

School's Out by Alice Cooper. It brings back warm memories of watching Dazed and Confused in a dorm room while being a bit dazed and confused myself.

Worst pregame song played

Lose Yourself by Eminem. The song itself isn't so bad, but 8 Mile didn't paint the prettiest picture of host city Detroit.

Worst consolation prize

Before the game, Taco Bell gave a guy the chance to win a million bucks by throwing five "strikes" through a slot in a giant blue placard. He managed only one strike so instead of a million bucks he "wins" a year's supply of Taco Bell. On the bright side, the Cincinnati Reds offered him a tryout.