DETROIT (Ticker) -- Mark Teixeira did something he hadn't done all season. The American League did something it had done seven of the previous eight years.

The switch-hitting Teixeira homered from the right side of the plate and Miguel Tejada added a blast and two RBI as the AL secured home-field advantage for the World Series for the third straight year with a 7-5 victory over the National League in the 76th All-Star Game at Comerica Park.

The first baseman for the Texas Rangers , Teixeira leads the AL with 25 home runs, all as a lefthanded hitter. From the right side, the 25-year-old is hitting .247 with just five RBI.

However, after Vladimir Guerrero of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim led off the sixth inning with a single against Florida Marlins lefthander Dontrelle Willis , Teixeira belted a 3-2 offering over the right-center field wall to give the AL a commanding 7-0 lead.

"I didn't feel that much different," Teixeira said of hitting the homer righthanded. "I guess it's just that I don't get enough at-bats. Maybe this will get me going.

"I knew I hit it pretty good. I was just hoping the wind wouldn't bring it back."

For Willis, the result did not take away from enjoying the opportunity of pitching in the gala event.

"I gave up a home run, but I had a great time," he said. "But I guess not too great."

The shot proved to be the difference as the NL rallied for five runs in the final three innings, including a two-run homer by Andruw Jones of the Atlanta Braves , who is tied for the league lead with 27 blasts.

"It was looking kind of ugly out there when it was 7-0. I was glad we got a couple of runs," Jones said. "It was just a good pitch to hit. I was looking for a good pitch and tried not to miss it."

Tejada, who hit a leadoff homer off Atlanta's John Smoltz (0-1) in the second to open the scoring, added an RBI groundout in the third and made an impressive defensive play to capture MVP honors.

"When I got to the plate (against) John Smoltz , you know it's not easy," Tejada said. "I just said in my mind, '(I'm) starting in the All-Star Game, I'm going to enjoy it,' and I think that's why I hit the ball out of the park."

"We've seen Miggy hit those balls too much from where I sit," AL manager Terry Francona of the Boston Red Sox said. "But tonight, it was kind of fun to cheer for him."

Smoltz, a Michigan native who began his career with the Detroit Tigers , refused to let the 436-foot homer tarnish his experience.

"I was so close to pitching for my hometown team. Today, I was able to showcase myself in front of (the Detroit fans)," he said. "But I wasn't going to allow my performance to overshadow it. The last three days have been the best."

In the first inning, Tejada got AL starter Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox out of trouble, making an excellent stop on a ball hit by Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets to begin a double play.

"When you play behind Buehrle, you've got to be ready because he just gets in the game quick," Tejada said. "After I got the double play, I was so happy and I was so relaxed just because I already did something for my team."

"I think more than the home run, I think the play he made defensively in the first inning, to me, that relaxes Buehrle," Francona said. "The whole game, I think, changes on that. That's a heck of a play."

It was one of a record-tying three double plays turned by the AL. The teams combined for five double plays, a new All-Star Game mark.

"The biggest difference was we had some chances. We hit (into) three double plays in the first six innings," NL manager Tony La Russa of the St. Louis Cardinals said. "They made the pitches, made the plays. To me, that's the difference in the game."

Buehrle(1-0), the starter for the AL, picked up the win after allowing three hits and striking out three in two scoreless innings. The lefthander was pitching on two days' rest after facing Oakland on Saturday.

"I felt really good out there," he said. "I could've kept going out there, but I knew ( White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen ) would go crazy if he saw me out there any longer."

"We were pleased to get two innings," Francona said. "I think he threw 117 pitches the other day. ... When we named him the starting pitcher, we wanted him to go the second inning, and he actually, to me, looked more comfortable in that inning."

New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera - a nemesis of Francona and the Red Sox - was summoned to record the final out. He struck out Morgan Ensberg of the Houston Astros to notch his second career All-Star save.

"I heard ( Red Sox center fielder) Johnny Damon say something like, 'Come on, Mo,' and I looked at him and I said, 'I bet I never would have heard you say that,'" Francona said. "It was OK (rooting for Rivera). For one night, it was pretty cool."

Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners delivered a two-run single and Boston slugger David Ortiz drove in a run with a base hit for the AL, which ran its unbeaten streak in the All-Star Games to nine (8-0-1). It is the longest run in the mid-summer classic since the NL won 11 in a row from 1972-82.

"I think we understand that we haven't won in a long time," La Russa said.

Texas Rangers southpaw Kenny Rogers , who was suspended for 20 games last week after assaulting a pair of cameramen, was lustily booed by the crowd. The 40-year-old surrendered hits to the first three batters he faced in the seventh, including Jones' second career All-Star homer.

"I don't hold anything against anyone," Rogers said of the rude treatment. "Everyone is going to say what they should do. ... I didn't want this to be a distraction, and I hope it hasn't been."

Rogers heard catcalls during the pregame introductions, when he entered the game and when he walked off the mound at the end of the seventh.

"I was proud of Kenny for showing up, and I asked him to do that," Francona said.