By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com

Edgar Renteria hit an RBI double for his first career All-Star hit. (Charlie Krupa/AP)

Shortstop Edgar Renteria, first baseman Albert Pujols and third baseman Scott Rolen all were in the starting National League lineup. All three hit safely.

Collectively, they were 4-for-7 with three doubles, two runs and three RBIs.

They carried most of the National League's offense in a 9-4 loss to the American League.

Pujols had two doubles. He bounced a ground-rule double against A's left-hander Mark Mulder over the right-field wall in the first inning and scored on Sammy Sosa's single.

"He had a great night," said the Phillies' Jim Thome, who replaced Pujols at first. "It goes to show what they've done all year long. Their offense has scored a ton of runs, so they've got very solid, good hitters."

In the fourth, with lefty C.C. Sabathia of the Indians on the mound, Renteria doubled. His bouncer flicked off third baseman Alex Rodriguez's glove, rolled foul and was ruled a ground-rule double when touched by a fan.

Pujols followed with a booming double off the left-wall that scored Carlos Beltran and Renteria, cutting the American League lead to 7-4.

Rolen was on base in both of his plate appearances. He was hit by a pitch in the first inning, and singled to left against White Sox right-hander Esteban Loaiza in the third.

But not even the efforts of the three Cardinals could overcome the AL's early first-inning getaway.

"When you get down six runs, it's tough," said NL manager Jack McKeon. "It's just one of those situations. It deflates you a little bit, but we battled back."

Playing in his third All-Star Game, Pujols is 3-for-6 (.500) with three RBIs.

Rolen, also in his third game, is 2-for-6 (.333). Renteria, in his fourth game, is 1-for-8 (.125).

Before the game, Pujols talked about how much being an All-Star meant to him.

"I remember in '97 watching the competition going on in the Home Run Derby," he said.

"Guys I always looked up to were guys that played hard all the time, like my teammate Scott Rolen ... Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell with the Houston Astros. They're guys I looked up to and they respect the game ... Sammy [Sosa], Moises Alou and all those guys. You learn a lot from those guys because they opened up the game to a lot of young Latin players like myself. And hopefully I can do this for a lot of the guys coming up."

Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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