The American League races at first base and second base are emerging as classic contests in balloting for the 2009 All-Star Game. Mark Teixeira of the Yankees has again overtaken Kevin Youkilis of the Red Sox for the lead at first base. Youkilis led for the first two weeks before Teixeira took a slim margin in the third update. Last week, the Red Sox slugger regained an edge by just 1,315 votes, angling the race to go down among closest in All-Star balloting history. Teixeira, a 2005 A.L. All-Star, has now surged to 1,561,292 votes, ahead of the 1,525,660 cast for Youkilis, last year's starter. Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins looms in third with 1,275,694 votes. At second base, Ian Kinsler (1,791,177) of the Rangers is staving off Boston's Dustin Pedroia (1,732,787). Kinsler, a 2008 A.L. All-Star, has set the pace since the outset of balloting, but Pedroia, last year's starter, is the closest to the lead that he has been at any point in this year's balloting. The two leading vote-getters remain on the left side of the A.L. infield, but nine-time A.L. All-Star shortstop Derek Jeter (2,563,093) of the Yankees has now jumped over 2008 A.L. All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria (2,488,076) of the Tampa Bay Rays for the number one spot. Jeter held the A.L.'s overall lead in the first week of balloting, but Longoria, who is in his first year on the ballot, had been atop the A.L. totals each week since then. Remaining in contention for the overall A.L. lead is Twins catcher Joe Mauer, whose 2,298,544 votes put him in line for his third A.L. All-Star berth. In the outfield, two-time All-Star Jason Bay of the Red Sox remains in position to represent the A.L. for the first time with 2,077,504 votes. Eight-time A.L. All-Star Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners has risen from third place to second with 1,455,266 votes. The third spot is held by 2008 A.L. All-Star Josh Hamilton of the Rangers with 1,385,212 votes, but a pair of two-time A.L. All-Stars, Torii Hunter of the Angels and Carl Crawford of the Rays, are within striking distance with 1,186,097 and 1,172,241 votes, respectively.