ASG Live Blog: Innings 4-6

6:40 p.m. Super-slow-mo just showed us that Pujols was actually safe at second, even though the throw beat him. Umpires have to hate that camera, because it exposes the old ways of calling a game. For years, if the throw beat you to the base, you were out, no matter how late the tag was. If a middle infielder was near second base on an attempted double play, the force was given. Pitchers who worked the outside corner consistently would get an extra three inches off the black, then four inches, then five inches, and so on. Technology is killing the umps and they're going to either have to embrace it to improve their performance or eventually be replaced altogether.

6:44 p.m. I can't overemphasize what a dork A-Rod looks like in those big, puffy white shoes. He looks like a high school kid who just stepped off the team bus in full uniform but wanted to put his spikes on in the dugout.

6:54 p.m. We have lift-off! Matt Holliday hammers a line drive to right for a home run off Ervin Santana. Amazingly, there are no puns on either player's name. I guess I've been watching Chris Berman for too long.

6:56 p.m. A-Rod gets taken out in the middle of an inning so the Yankees fans can applaud him. If any Yankees fans were actually at the game, that might have worked out well. Or if Yankees fans in attendance actually liked A-Rod. Or if anybody actually liked A-Rod.

7:03 p.m. Baby Jesus crushes an infield single and gets pulled for a pinch runner. It'll be interesting to see if Ian Kinsler stays in the game and they put the new catcher in Pedroia's spot, or if Francona is going to stick with his guys for nine innings. Because, you know, they're the Red Sox and they rule.

7:07 p.m. Wow, Haren just blew a fastball past Ichiro for strike three. Captain Cool is the AL's last chance this inning with two runners on and the AL trailing by a run. The "fans" just did some kind of chant for Jeter, but that lasted all of one pitch.

Buck just told us that over the last 20 games, the AL is 16-3-1. Yes, that one sticks out like A-Rod's white shoes.

And Jeter bounces back to the mound. Still 1-0. Fighting ... to ... stay ... awake.

7:15 p.m. They just showed the AL bullpen, where we were treated to a snapshot of what goes on in the bullpen in the sixth inning of a 1-0 game: Joakim Soria was picking his nose, and Mariano Rivera was yawning. We know how you feel, Mo.

7:17 p.m. I'm actually kind of surprised that we haven't seen more sponsored segments of this game. I started taking notes on the advertisers we've seen so far -- the Aquafina Make Your Body Happy Sweepstakes, the Baby Ruth Take Me Out to the Ballgame Contest, the Chevy Pregame Show, etc. -- but FOX has shown remarkable restraint during the game. Even the Foxbox isn't sponsored -- I thought for sure there would be a Vagisil or Flomax tag on there somewhere.

7:19 p.m. A Berkman sac fly puts the NL on top 2-0, and Jeter gets taken out of the game mid-inning. I sincerely hope this is just Francona pandering to the Yankee crowd in hopes of being able to get out of the stadium without being pelted with rotten fruit, and not the start of an All-Star trend where the home team's players are all given a chance to doff their lids in the middle of an inning. These things usually take long enough as it is. Even now, we're on a three-hour pace despite the lack of offense.

7:28 p.m. Mr. 28 Home Runs leads off the sixth with a single. As Jeff Spicoli might say, "All right Hamilton!"

7:33 p.m. Despite a fourth stolen base, the AL squanders another runner in scoring position and trails 2-0 after six. Somewhere, Milwaukee Brewers fans are giddy at the prospect of home-field advantage.