"When Brian McCann stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and the National League down by a run in the seventh inning of Tuesday's All-Star game, the Braves catcher wasn't thinking about home-field advantage for the World Series.

But after clearing the bases with a two-out double to right field for a 3-1 win against the American League at Angel Stadium, McCann thought of how important his hit might be if the Braves advance to the World Series a few months from now.

"This whole night has been surreal," said McCann, whose hit allowed the NL to snap the AL's 13-year All-Star stranglehold and made him the game's Most Valuable Player. "It's something you dream about as a little kid, a moment I'll never forget.

"We're in first place, and we're playing great as a team. This night can't get any better."

The league that wins the All-Star game secures home-field advantage for its World Series participant.

The only player in Braves history to make the All-Star team in each of his first five seasons, McCann finally got his big moment on the grand stage of the Midsummer Classic. His first hit in five career All-Star at-bats propelled the NL to its first win since 1996 and made him the Braves' first All-Star game MVP since Fred McGriff in 1994."