It was the second and final Midsummer Classic to be held at Three Rivers Stadium, as the Pirates would move to PNC Park ahead of hosting the 2006 MLB All-Star Game.

Frank Thomas the hit a sinking line shot off the glove of Tony Gwynn in center which scored Boggs and moved Griffey to third.

In the bottom of the first the NL got to starter Jimmy Key with a double into the left field corner by the Cardinals' Gregg Jeffries and a sac fly by Barry Bonds who was booed lustily by his former fans in Pittsburgh.

The NL, who had been dominated in the All Star Games the last 2 years, appeared to be pulling away in the third inning against that season's AL Cy Young Award winner David Cone (of the Royals).

With the scored tied 4–4, the NL retaliated immediately the next half-inning when the Expos' Marquis Grissom sliced a home run down the right field line off Randy Johnson.

Later in the inning, with a runner on and one out, the Pittsburgh crowd roared but then exhaled when the slap-hitting veteran Ozzie Smith nearly hit another home run off the Big Unit – missing the left field foul pole by a few feet.

Then the Twins' Chuck Knoblauch looked to have a sure single on the AstroTurf through the left side, but Ozzie Smith made a spectacular diving stop and fired to second for the force play.

The NL looked to be running out of time thanks to scoreless innings by AL pitchers Pat Hentgen of the Blue Jays and Wilson Álvarez of the White Sox.

Peoria's NBC station WEEK-TV suffered misfortunes of significant transmitter difficulties throughout most of the game, forcing WEEK's signal to be knocked off the air until one hour after the conclusion.