NEW YORK — Tim Lincecum didn't make it to his first All-Star game last night.

The National League sure could have used him.

Hospitalized earlier in the day with flulike symptoms, the hard-throwing San Francisco star wasn't around when manager Clint Hurdle called to the bullpen late in the game.

And called. And called again.

Massaging and managing a tired pitching staff, Hurdle got by until the game kept going deeper into extra innings. Aaron Cook got out of jams in the 10th, 11th and 12th, thanks to some slick defense behind him, and Carlos Marmol and Brandon Webb each survived an inning.

Brad Lidge, the only pitcher still available for either side, came on in the 15th and gave up a leadoff single to Justin Morneau, who scored on Michael Young's sacrifice fly to give the American League a 4-3 victory after 4 hours, 50 minutes.

"We had what we had," said Hurdle, who jokingly said Mets third baseman David Wright would have been next to take the hill. "I'm proud of the way the pitchers we gave the ball to showed up."

Lincecum's big right arm would have come in handy, but the 24-year-old was taken from his hotel to New York Presbyterian Hospital for flulike symptoms and dehydration earlier in the day. He was released yesterday afternoon but was not well enough to make the game, a Giants spokesman said.

"It would have been nice having him here, but you have to get the job done," catcher Geovany Soto said.

beauty before age?

Billy Wagner heard it from all sides.

Giants reliever Brian Wilson talked about admiring the New York Mets closer when he was playing in college. Braves star Chipper Jones made sure Wagner knew he was the oldest All-Star on the National League team.

"I gotta make myself feel better that I'm not the oldest one here," Jones said.

Wagner, who turns 37 on July 25, actually was the oldest player on either roster for last night's game. Not that it mattered to him.

"I think over the long haul you look and go, 'Man, I've been here for a while and I'm still here,' " he said. "It starts to be a compliment more than somebody kind of saying something negative."

REALITY CHECK

Josh Hamilton awoke the day after his dreamlike performance in the Home Run Derby and turned on the TV in his hotel room in midtown Manhattan and found the end of the movie "The Natural" playing.

Just then he received a visitor. It was time for a drug test.

"Right when (Robert Redford's character) was about to hit the home run, the pee guy came in," Hamilton said. "I said, 'Hold on. I've got to watch this.' "