SAN DIEGO (AP) – There was a time when the National League thoroughly dominated the major league All-Star game, but those days are long gone.

The American League has won the midsummer classic for the fourth straight year by banging out a pair of second-inning homers and working out of an eighth-inning jam to beat the NL 4-2.

The AL took the lead for good when a pair of Royals went deep against a former teammate. Salvador Perez belted a two-run shot off Johnny Cueto (KWAY’-toh) of San Francisco to break a 1-1 deadlock in the bottom of the second, two batters after Eric Hosmer hit a solo shot. Hosmer was named the MVP of the game after collecting two RBIs, including a run-scoring single in the fourth to make it a 4-1 game.

The senior circuit had a great opportunity to tie the game in the eighth, loading the bases with two out before Astros reliever Will Harris fanned rookie Aledmys (ah-LEHD’-mees) Diaz of the Cardinals to end the threat.

Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant hit a solo blast in the first inning for the National League, which got its second run on a fourth-inning single by Marcell Ozuna (oh-ZOO’-nuh) of the Marlins.

David Ortiz was embraced by his AL teammates near first base after exiting his final All-Star Game. The popular Big Papi plans to retire at 40 after this season with Boston.

The AL is 29-7-1 in the last 37 All-Star games since the NL took 19 of 20 from 1963-62. The National League holds a 43-42-2 edge overall since the first All-Star game at Chicago’s Comiskey Park.

Cleveland’s Corey Kluber was credited with the victory. Cueto was the loser, and Zach Britton picked up the save.