There have been nine consecutive losses for the National League in the Summer Classic. After Shane McClanahan of Tampa Bay, who has the best ERA in the league at 1.60, allowed two runs and four hits to the National League in the ninth inning of the 92nd MLB All-Star Game, Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase struck out the side to seal the victory for his team.

Back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning, including one by Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, sparked the AL to its ninth consecutive victory. Level Despite having a 47-43-2 advantage for the league that won last night, the National League has only won the Midsummer Classic six times in the last three decades.

The National League went on an All-Star game winning streak of 11 games between 1972 and 1982, following a winning streak of eight games from 1963 to 1970. There has been a dramatic reversal of this tendency with the AL’s recent dominance. The AL surpassed the NL with last night’s triumph.

It is unknown why the American League has been so successful in recent All-Star Games, as there have been no major rule changes that would have benefited one league over the other. Both the American and National Leagues have been impacted hard by the league’s crackdown on pitchers’ usage of banned substances and an altered baseball, and the designated hitter, the one major difference between the two leagues, was scrapped this season.

Although the AL holds the overall advantage at 66-51, the National League has done better in recent years, winning six of the previous 10 World Series. Since 1997, when interleague play was first held, the American League and National League have each won 3,578 and 3,286 games, respectively.