Cueto and Posey were the starting battery, and despite the former's sensational 13-1 record coming into the All-Star break, he exited with a 3-1 deficit after surrendering second-inning home runs to former Royals teammates Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez.
"This is a game. The game is over with, for me," Cueto told reporters outside the NL clubhouse in the middle of the game. "I'm just going to start concentrating and start the season on Friday."
Home-field advantage was on the line, and that is historically important since the winning league began taking World Series home edge back in 2003.