It only took one swing of the bat to end 13 years of bad luck for the National League. More than a decade since it last won baseball's all-star game.

A seventh inning, three-run double from Brian McCann sealed a 3-1 victory for the NL in the 81st midsummer classic.

With the bases loaded, the Atlanta Braves catcher sparked the offence with a line drive to right field that cleared the bases, scoring Scott Rolen, Matt Holliday and Marlon Byrd.

"You dream of moments like this as a kid. It was amazing," said McCann.

This was the three-time silver slugger's fifth straight appearance in the all-star. He was named the game's most valuable player.

The National League won its first all-star game since 1996, having lost to the AL every year except the 2002 game, which ended in a 7-7 tie. The National League earns home-field advantage for this year's World Series.

"Enough was enough," said St. Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright.

Canada was well represented at the game. The Toronto Blue Jays had three players on the bench, Jose Bautista, Vernon Wells and John Buck.

Toronto native Joey Votto, who plays for Cincinnati, earned the 34th and last spot on the NL roster in an internet vote. But he failed to get a hit in two at-bats after replacing Ryan Howard as the designated hitter in the seventh inning.

All three Blue Jays made it onto the field in the sixth inning — Wells and Bautista in the outfield, and Buck behind the plate. Offensively, Buck was the only Jay to get a hit.

Many of the batters struggled to see the ball because the late afternoon sun cast strange patterns of light across the field of Angel Stadium in Anaheim. Both teams started to get hits late in the game. The AL finished with seven and the NL finished with six.

Still down 3-1 going into the bottom of the ninth the AL tried to use a leadoff hit by David Ortiz to start a comeback. But after Ortiz got on base, Adrian Beltre struck out, Buck's fly ball allowed Byrd to throw out Ortiz at second base and Ian Kinsler hit a fly ball to centre-fielder Chris Young.

"It felt awesome for us to get the win and break the streak," said Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jonathan Broxton.

There was a moment of silence before the game started for George Steinbrenner. The 80-year-old owner of the New York Yankees died Tuesday morning of a heart attack.

"It's a difficult time, on a great day for baseball, the all-star game, something everyone looks to," Yankees and AL manager Joe Girardi said. "A great man in baseball passed. He's meant so much to not only this organization, but to the game of baseball, and to all of us personally."