No matter who’s on the mound, the National League can’t find a way to close out an All-Star Game.With the American League down to its final strike, Michael Young hit a two-run triple off Trevor Hoffman for a 3-2 victory last night that kept the AL unbeaten for the past decade.

Behind David Wright’s homer and some daring, old-style base running, the NL took a 2-1 lead into the ninth and brought in Hoffman to try to finish it.

But the San Diego Padres reliever, closing in on the career saves record, failed to put this one away. He gave up a two-out single to Paul Konerko, who was replaced by pinch-runner Jose Lopez.

Then the NL nearly caught a break — it hasn’t had many since its last victory in Philadelphia in 1996.

Troy Glaus’ smash bounded over the left-field fence for a ground-rule double, perhaps preventing Lopez from scoring. He was held at third, but Young made that moot.

The Rangers’ underrated shortstop lined an 0-and-2 pitch to right center and slid into third with what was probably the biggest All-Star Game hit since Texas teammate Hank Blalock’s go-ahead homer off Eric Gagne in the eighth inning in 2003.

Young won the MVP award — and the AL again secured home-field advantage in the World Series.

Winless in its last nine tries — and with home-field advantage in the World Series again at stake — the NL came out playing hard in gleaming PNC Park.

Brad Penny pitched inside, throwing 99 mph fastballs in striking out Ichiro Suzuki, Derek Jeter and David Ortiz to start the game. Brushed back, Vladimir Guerrero later homered off Penny.

Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Beltran stole bases, NL manager Phil Garner carefully picked his matchups and Albert Pujols, known more for his mashing than his mitt, made a barehanded stop when Mark Loretta’s bouncer took a bad hop.

Pittsburgh’s own Freddy Sanchez assembled his own highlight reel in the fifth inning alone. Right after entering the game, he pushed Wright out of the way to catch Guerrero’s foul pop; Sanchez ended the inning with a leaping grab of Loretta’s liner.

Added up, the NL led. The same way former Pirates star Roberto Clemente and friends once ruled this game, winning 19 of 20 from 1963 to 1982. The AL, however, had gone 8-0-1 since the NL last won in 1996.

The American League also turned serious. Kenny Rogers, at 41 the oldest pitcher to start for the AL, made a headfirst dive but missed Chase Utley’s bouncer to the right of the mound.

Toronto’s Vernon Wells, in the starting lineup because Manny Ramirez opted out with a sore knee, made a perfect throw from center field to cut down Soriano at the plate.

The early MVP, however, might have been the park itself. While the Pittsburgh Pirates have not had a successful season since the All- Star Game was last in town — in 1994 in Three Rivers Stadium — their 5-year-old park was a winner.

Fans packed the Roberto Clemente Bridge that spans the Allegheny River beyond center field, and the downtown buildings of the Golden Triangle glowed in the distance.