Here’s how Royals contributed to American League’s 5-3 victory in MLB All-Star Game

The game’s scoring had been completed by the time the Royals participants entered the All-Star Game at Globe Life Field. Still, they helped preserve the 5-3 American League victory.

In the sixth inning, Cole Ragans took the mound with Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. entering the game on defense.

Ragans was the sixth AL pitcher — manager Bruce Bochy gave each pitcher one frame — and he got Bryce Harper on a deep fly to center. Will Smith sent a grounder up the middle. Witt gloved it but made an off-balance throw resulting in a single for Smith.

Witt then came up with a nifty turn to complete a double play when first baseman Josh Naylor fielded Freddie Freeman’s grounder and fired to Witt, who returned it to Naylor.

Naylor’s foot was off the bag, and Freeman was originally called safe. But a replay showed the Freeman’s cleat pushed Naylor’s into the bag. The original safe call was overturned.

Perez came to the plate in the sixth inning and National League manager Torey Lovullo made the game’s first in-inning pitching change. Perez faced right-hander Reynaldo Lopez instead of the lefty Cristopher Sanchez and struck out swinging.

Seth Lugo followed Ragans, getting the ball in the seventh and also put up a zero, but he worked hard for it. Lugo surrendered a leadoff single to Elly De La Cruz. Left fielder Riley Greene made a sliding catch to take a hit away from Jackson Merrill.

Bryan Reynolds followed with a single. But Lugo struck out Ryan McMahon and got another nice play from Witt, who went into the hole and threw out Marcell Ozuna.

Former Royals left-hander Matt Strahm struck out Witt swinging on a 93 mph fastball to end the seventh inning.

Ragans, Lugo and Witt were making their All-Star debuts. This was Perez’s ninth All-Star Game, the second most in Royals history. It marked the first time two Royals starting pitchers appeared in an All-Star Game.

Witt made a big impression the previous night when he finished second in the Home Run Derby final to Teoscar Hernandez by one blast.

The four players marked the most for the Royals in an All-Star Game since 2016.

The American League broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning when Jarren Duran belted a two-run homer. Shohei Ohtani had the big hit for the NL, blasting a three-run homer in the third.

The AL has won 17 of the last 21 All-Star Games.