MLB All-Star Game 2017: Score, Highlights and Comments from MVP

In the first year that the result of the All-Star Game was not tied to home-field advantage in the World Series, it seemed that the baseball gods would put managers Joe Maddon and Brad Mills to the test.

The American and National Leagues battled into extra innings Tuesday night at Marlins Park, and questions loomed on whether either team would have enough pitching once the game entered the 10th inning.

However, Robinson Cano of the Seattle Mariners put an end to that speculation when he blasted a solo home run leading off the 10th inning against Wade Davis of the Chicago Cubs that gave the American League a 2-1 victory.

The victory was the American League's fifth in a row, and it allowed the Junior Circuit to tie the series at 43-43-2. The National League had taken the lead in the series in 1965 and held the advantage since until Andrew Miller of the Cleveland Indians struck out rookie Cody Bellinger to end this year's game.

Cano took the MVP honors in the game as a result of his game-winning blast. He has won a World Series, the Home Run Derby title and All-Star Game MVP, joining Hall of Famer Cal Ripken as the only player to have those three achievements on his resume.

The second baseman said he was happy that the All-Star Game was no longer the determining factor for home-field advantage in the All-Star Game. 

"I really honestly like that way," Cano said of the format, per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. "That way, you're able now to joke around, make the game more fun, like the way it used to be before."

Cano's home run came off of a breaking ball from Davis, and he was able to get out in front of the pitch. "You have to get your [bat] head out front and be able to handle the breaking ball," Cano said. "I was able to put a good swing on it."

The game had been dominated by pitching and defense prior to Cano's game-winning blow. Grunting National League starter Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals struck out Home Run Derby champion Aaron Judge in the first inning along with cleanup hitter George Springer during his only inning of work.

American League starter Chris Sale of the Boston Red Sox pitched two scoreless innings and struck out two batters. The National League opened the second inning with consecutive singles, but Sale was able to induce a double-play ground ball from Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals to eliminate the potential jam.

The National League threatened again in the third inning when it loaded the bases against New York Yankees reliever Dellin Betances, but he escaped the inning when Daniel Murphy of the Nationals grounded out to third.

The American League broke through in the scoreless game in the top of the fifth inning when Jonathan Schoop of the Baltimore Orioles laced a two-out double off Alex Wood of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miguel Sano of the Minnesota Twins followed with a bloop single down the right field line.

Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals eliminated that 1-0 lead with a home run to the opposite field in the sixth inning off Twins pitcher Ervin Santana.

Molina was involved in two of the game's more notable aspects. He wore a gold-painted catcher's mask that was reminiscent of a Star Wars character, and he also snapped a picture of American League designated hitter Nelson Cruz posing with umpire Joe West during the top of the sixth inning.

Both teams had a chance to end the game in the ninth as they mounted rallies off ace closers in each league.

Yonder Alonso of the Oakland A's singled and stole second to start the top of the ninth, and Kenley Jansen of the Los Angeles Dodgers balked him to third with two outs. However, he put an end to that threat when he struck out Avisail Garcia of the Chicago White Sox.

The National League loaded the bases against Craig Kimbrel of the Red Sox, but the fireballing reliever sent the game to extra innings by striking out Michael Conforto of the New York Mets.

That sent the game to extra innings for the first time since 2008. The fact that Cano's home run came off a Cubs pitcher was not lost on Mills, the Indians bench coach who was thrust into the manager's role as a result of Cleveland manager Terry Francona's health issues.

"Nobody wants, in a game like this, to have it go too long," Mills said, per Davidoff. "So that was huge for him to come up, and besides, it was a Cubs pitcher. That was kind of nice."

The Indians fell to the Cubs in the seventh game of the World Series last year, so Mills had at least some degree of retribution.

That's probably cold comfort to long-suffering Indians fans, who have been waiting for a World Series title since 1948, although it made them and American League fans feel better for at least one night.