Cano beats Gonzalez for HR Derby crown

PHOENIX -- Even before he was traded to the Red Sox last winter, Adrian Gonzalez was considered one of the elite players in the game. Nonetheless, there is little question that the move to Boston has elevated the four-time All-Star's profile, and his surge to national prominence continued on Monday evening, when he finished second to Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano in the All-Star Home Run Derby.

Gonzalez ripped one longball after another into distant reaches of Chase Field. Though he is renowned for his opposite field power, he launched a succession of shots to right and right-center field.

Yet it was not enough amidst a record-setting run by Cano. After Gonzalez tied a record for the most homers in the final round of the Derby, Cano set a new mark by going deep 12 times to claim the title.

The two players separated themselves from their competition in each of the three rounds. In the first round, Gonzalez led the eight Derby participants with nine homers while Cano launched eight. Then, in the semifinal round, Cano delivered a dozen longballs -- mostly of the tape-measure variety -- while Gonzalez smacked 11. The two players' totals of 20 homers thorugh the first two rounds gave them clear passage to the finals.

Cano, whose father was throwing batting practice, then put on his historic final round display, going deep 12 times while coming up short of the fence on just six of his swings. He did not even need the full complement of 10 "outs" to claim his title.

Reigning Derby champ Ortiz reached the semifinal round. After his five homers landed him in a three-way tie with Prince Fielder and Matt Holliday for third place at the end of the first round, Ortiz went deep on four of five swings in a run-off, advancing along with Fielder to the semfinals. But the Sox DH went deep just four times in the second round.

The American League romped in the new AL vs. NL team format of the Derby.

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