PITTSBURGH - The All-Star game was all set up for the National League this time.

Trevor Hoffman on the mound, one strike to go, fans on their feet at Pittsburgh’s enchanting ballpark.

But no matter the setting or the season, the Nationals can’t find a way to close out the AL.

Down to a final strike, Michael Young hit a two-run triple off Hoffman for a 3-2 victory Tuesday night that kept the Americans unbeaten for the past decade.

“You’re never going to forget these things on this kind of stage,” said Hoffman, who has 460 saves. “You feel like you let a lot of people down.”

Young took home the MVP award — and the AL won home-field advantage in the World Series for the fourth straight year.

“Nobody wants to make the last out of anything, whether it’s a regular season, World Series or an All-Star game,” said Troy Glaus, whose double set the stage for Young.

AL extends NL's misery with rally in 9th

Behind David Wright’s homer and some daring, old-style baserunning, the NL took a 2-1 lead into the ninth.

Houston manager Phil Garner went to Hoffman, who is closing in on Lee Smith’s career saves record (478) and has converted 24 of 25 chances this season.

After getting two soft comebackers, Hoffman gave up a single to Paul Konerko, who was replaced by pinch-runner Jose Lopez.

Then the NL nearly caught a break — it hasn’t had many since its last victory in Philadelphia in 1996.

Glaus’ smash bounded over the left-field fence for a ground-rule double, perhaps preventing Lopez from scoring. He was held at third, until Young made that moot.

The Rangers’ underrated shortstop lined an 0-2 pitch into right-center and slid into third with what was probably the biggest All-Star game hit since Texas teammate Hank Blalock’s go-ahead homer off a normally dominant Eric Gagne in the eighth inning in 2003.

“I’m not going to lie. This is a pretty big highlight in my career,” Young said. “No one’s really giving huge rallying calls to getting home-field advantage in the World Series, but we’re all aware of how important this game is.”

FREE VIDEO '27th out is so elusive sometimes' July 11: Reliever Trevor Hoffman talks about giving up the winning hit, and Paul Konerko, B.J. Ryan, Troy Glaus, Ryan Howard and Jason Bay also discuss the game.

Mariano Rivera worked around Lopez’s error at third base for the save, retiring Milwaukee slugger Carlos Lee on a popup with a runner on second to make the AL 9-0-1 in the Midsummer Classic over the past 10 years.

The NL’s best result was a tie in 2002 in Milwaukee.

Call it a decade of dominance for the American League, which got an early homer from Vladimir Guerrero.

In fact, the AL has owned the NL year round lately, sweeping the last two World Series and winning a whopping 61 percent of interleague games this season.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say domination. We got the breaks tonight,” Derek Jeter said. “It’s one of those things right now. We’re on a roll. The NL was on a roll a few years back.”

Once the AL was ahead, manager Ozzie Guillen brought in ol’ reliable for the New York Yankees. Rivera’s third All-Star save tied him with Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley for the career mark since the stat became official in 1969.

FREE VIDEO 'This doesn't sting at all' July 11: NL manager Phil Garner, MVP Michael Young and AL manager Ozzie Guillen talk about the All-Star Game.

“I was honored. We have a lot of great guys and he chose me, the old one,” Rivera said.

Toronto lefty B.J. Ryan got the win with a hitless eighth.

An exhibition played with a crisp, competitive feel, the game was halted before the fifth inning for a ceremony at home plate for a tribute to the late Pirates great Roberto Clemente.

Bud Selig presented the commissioner’s historic achievement award to Clemente’s widow, Vera, who was escorted to the podium by Pirates Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski.

Guillen, wearing a Clemente T-shirt under his gray Chicago White Sox road jersey, appeared to wipe tears from his eyes, and highlights of Clemente’s stellar career were shown on the video board high above left field.