The Pirates' Jason Bay had a single in three at-bats during Tuesday's All-Star game at PNC Park.

PITTSBURGH — The National League lost the All-Star Game. The Pirates lost two-thirds of their games before the break.

Yet Jason Bay and Freddy Sanchez did not feel like losers Tuesday night at PNC Park.

Both of the Pirates' representatives received standing ovations during pre-game introductions and again when they stepped to the plate for the first time.

"It was tremendous. It was awesome," Sanchez said. "The fans in this town are unbelievable. They're knowledgeable about baseball and they've supported us all year despite our not playing up to expectations.

"That's why we so badly want to turn things around for them. It's why I hope I'm playing here for a lot of years to come."

Bay admitted to feeling embarrassed by the long ovation he received before the game.

"There are so many great players out here who have accomplished great things in this game," Bay said. "To spend so much time cheering for me ... it was embarrassing, but it felt so good at the same time."

After making the National League All-Star team last year and failing to get in the game, Bay batted fourth in the NL lineup Tuesday and singled in three at bats. He lined a single to center against Toronto's Roy Halladay, but was quickly erased by a double play.

When Bay reached first base, Boston's Dave Ortiz patted him on the helmet.

"Getting that hit and standing on first, though I wasn't there very long — it was one of the greatest moments of my life," Bay said.

Bay struck out against Detroit's Kenny Rogers to end the first inning and he fanned against Minnesota's Johan Santana in the seventh. He was replaced in left field by Milwaukee's Carlos Lee after that.

Had Bay played the entire game, he would have been at the plate with two outs and the tying run at second in the bottom of the ninth.

"I would have relished that situation," Bay said. "Every player wants to be in a situation where he can win a game for his team. But the reality of a game like this, that wasn't going to happen."

Sanchez entered the game in the fifth inning at shortstop. NL Manager Phil Garner told Sanchez he'd be doing so before the game.

"Him telling me that really helped," Sanchez said. "It enabled me to stretch, run around and prepare to go in."

Sanchez wound up playing second base as well and made stellar defensive plays at both positions, despite grounding out in his two at bats. He made a leaping catch of a Mark Loretta line drive in the fifth inning at shortstop. He made a diving stop of a Grady Sizemore ground ball at second in the eighth inning, throwing Sizemore out and denying the American League a run.

"Those plays were just reaction plays, really," Sanchez said. "But to make them in front of the home crowd, to hear them cheer was special. This game was strange in that, we play a game every day in pro ball. When this game finally arrived and I took the fields, yeah, I had butterflies like never before."

Bay admitted the same.

"I felt like I was playing in my first major league game," he said. "I was worried about falling over in the batter's box."