By AP/KWMU
Pittsburgh, PA – And St. Louis native and Lafayette High School grad Ryan Howard won baseball's Home Run Derby Monday night, as part of All-Star game festivities.
Howard, who plays first base for the Philadelphia Phillies, homered on his last three swings to beat New York Mets third baseman David Wright 5-4 in the final round. Howard had belted eight homers in the first round, then hit ten more to earn a berth in the final.
Wright had led all first-round hitters with 16 homers before smacking just two in the semifinals. Wright and Howard each had 18 homers in the semis to edge out Boston designated hitter David Ortiz and Florida third baseman Miguel Cabrera.
Cabrera finished with 15 homers, two more than Ortiz.
HOME RUN TALLY
FIRST ROUND
16 - David Wright, N.Y. Mets (NL)
10 - David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox (AL)
9 - Miguel Cabrera, Florida Marlins (NL)
8 - Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies (NL)
7 - Jermaine Dye, Chicago White Sox (AL)
3 - Lance Berkman, Houston Astros (NL)
3 - Miguel Tejada, Baltimore Orioles (AL)
1 - Troy Glaus, Toronto Blue Jays (AL)
(Wright, Ortiz, Cabrera and Howard advance to the semifinals. Home runs carry over to semifinals.)
SEMIFINALS
(Numbers in parenthesis are homers hit in semifinals)
18 (2) - David Wright, N.Y. Mets (NL)
18 (10) - Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies (NL)
15 (6) - Miguel Cabrera, Florida Marlins (NL)
13 (3) -David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox (AL)
(Wright and Howard advance to final. Home runs do not carry over to final.)
FINAL
5 - Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies (NL)
4 - David Wright, N.Y. Mets (NL)