With the All-Star game back in St. Louis for the first time since the NL won 2-1 in 10 innings across the street at old Busch Stadium in 1966, the AL broke on top 2-0 in the first against Tim Lincecum with the help of an error by Pujols, who allowed Teixeira’s one-out bouncer with two on to bounce away. Jeter came around from second on the error, and Josh Hamilton hit a two-out RBI grounder.

“To be honest with you, I was feeling a lot of nerves out there,” said Lincecum, who missed last year’s game at old Yankee Stadium when he was hospitalized with flulike symptoms.

The NL went ahead 3-2 in the second against Halladay with four straight two-out hits. The Cardinals’ Yadier Molina had an RBI single, and another run scored when Hamilton’s throw from center field to third bounced off the sliding Shane Victorino for an error that allowed Victorino to score. Prince Fielder, winner of Monday’s Home Run Derby, batted for Halladay and lined an opposite-field double down the left-field line.

Joe Mauer tied it in the fifth with a two-out RBI double off Chad Billingsley.

The AL has come from behind in four straight games.

“I think it’s just the guys that put on the uniform — they want to win,” Mauer said. “They don’t give up. We always know we have a good chance of winning.”

Notes: John F. Kennedy (1962 first game), Richard Nixon (1970) and Gerald Ford (1976 and 1978) also threw out first pitches. ... Tim Wakefield, at 42 years, 346 days the oldest first-time All-Star since Satchel Paige was 46 in 1952, didn’t get into the game. He was held back as a potential AL pitcher for extra innings. ... With four straight one-run victories, the AL matched the All-Star record for consecutive one-run games, set by the NL from 1965-68, and narrowed its deficit against the senior circuit to 40-38-2. ... It was the first All-Star game without a home run since 1999 at Boston’s Fenway Park. And at 2 hours, 31 minutes, it was the fastest since 1988. ... AL pitchers came within two of the All-Star record for consecutive outs, set by the NL in 1968. ... The eight strikeouts were the fewest since 1962 (first game).

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