Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox will start for the American League in tonight's All-Star Game and Johnny Cueto of the San Francisco Giants will start for the National League.
Sale, a 27-year-old left-hander, is 14-3 with a 3.38 ERA and leads the major leagues in victories. He has 123 strikeouts and just 26 walks in 125 innings, and batters are hitting .225 against him.
"There are no repercussions that come from the game other than having fun and competing," he said Monday. "I fully intend to go out there and giving it all I got for that inning or two, whatever it might be."
Cueto, a 30-year-old right-hander who left Kansas City to sign with the Giants last offseason, tops NL pitchers in victories. He is 13-1 with a 2.47 ERA, striking out 115 in 131 1/3 innings. He has won 10 consecutive decisions since an April 21 loss to Arizona.
His path to the starting nod became clearer when Clayton Kershaw and Noah Syndergaard got hurt, Stephen Strasburg pulled out of the game because of a recent disabled list stint and Madison Bumgarner was ruled out because he started Sunday.
"I was just happy to be participating in the game," Cueto said through a translator. "But I'm very happy."
Cueto impressed New York Mets Manager Terry Collins with a two-hitter for Kansas City in Game 2 of last year's World Series, the first complete game by an AL pitcher in the Series since Jack Morris in 1991.
"That was the best outing I've ever seen him have," Collins said.
AL Manager Ned Yost's batting order has Houston second baseman Jose Altuve leading off, followed by Angels center fielder Mike Trout, Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado, Boston designated hitter David Ortiz, Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts, Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez and Boston left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr.
Collins has Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist leading off, followed by Washington right fielder Bryce Harper, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, San Diego's Wil Myers at designated hitter, San Francisco catcher Buster Posey, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Miami center fielder Marcell Ozuna, Colorado left fielder Carlos Gonzalez and Cubs shortstop Addison Russell.
Yost said Corey Kluber, Cole Hamels, Aaron Sanchez and Jose Quintana will follow Sale to the mound in a game that determines home-field advantage for the World Series.
"It's vitally important," said Yost, whose Royals swept the first two games at Kauffman Stadium last year. "We've got a room full of tremendously talented players and if we win this game it's going to affect somebody or somebodies in that room."
Safe at home?
Wil Myers and Drew Pomeranz of the San Diego Padres will be in their comfort zone for the All-Star Game before their home fans at Petco Park.
Well, for the most part.
Because the National League is hosting in four consecutive years, the American League gets to wear white uniforms and bat last. And that means San Diego's players had to vacate their own clubhouse and move to the visitors' locker room on the third-base side.
They're totally OK with having to turn left instead of right when they come through the players' entrance.
It's been a crazy several weeks for Myers. He was named an All-Star ambassador, and then played his way into All-Star consideration by hitting 11 home runs in June. He was named to the NL team, and then named to the Home Run Derby.
On Tuesday morning, he found out via Twitter that he'll be the NL's designated hitter, batting fourth for manager Terry Collins' club.
"It's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity me, just being in the Home Run Derby and starting in the All-Star Game," he said. "So I'm just going to soak up every minute of it. I'm not going to take any of it for granted. I'm going to enjoy every second of it and just enjoy it."
Like Myers, Pomeranz played himself into the All-Star picture by going 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA and 115 strikeouts.
Cellar dwellers
For Adam Duvall, Jay Bruce, Julio Teheran and Eduardo Nunez, the All-Star Game is as close to the spotlight as they're likely to get this season.
Their teams are far from contention, on track to lose 100 or more games.
"Obviously it means a lot. But it would be better if we were winning or playing better as a team," said Duvall, whose Cincinnati Reds are 32-57.
"But this is where we are in this stage of the process. We are rebuilding, and Cincinnati has been very vocal about that. I think we have a lot of the pieces of the puzzle. We have a very good foundation and we are doing the things necessary to be successful in the future," he said.
Bruce is also on the Reds, who haven't won a title since t1990 and seem years from contending again.
Teheran's Atlanta Braves are 31-28, the worst record in the majors, a team that stripped down in preparation for next year's move to suburban SunTrust Park.
"It's kind of been a hard year. We have been an up-and-down team," the pitcher said. "But it's something you don't think about it. You only control what you can control. I know I don't have a lot of wins but I'm going to keep doing what I do and that is to go out there and get people out. It doesn't matter if you have run support or not. You have to help your team win."
Choosing baseball
Dylan Cozens said his choice was simple. He could have played defensive end at the University of Arizona or signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.
"Look at the concussions and look at the injuries in football," the Phillies outfield prospect said. "You got a longer career here in baseball."
Cozens was among former two-sport athletes in Sunday's All-Star Futures Game along with Atlanta infielder Dansby Swanson, Cincinnati pitcher Amir Garrett and Kansas City infielder Hunter Dozier.
Commissioner Rob Manfred has made youth baseball a top priority since becoming baseball commissioner last year, wanting the sport to be more proactive to attract top young athletes.
"Youth is a huge deal in terms of participation and attendance," he said.
MLB hopes future John Elways and Dan Marinos choose the diamond over the gridiron.
Cozens had committed to Arizona to play defensive end, then signed with the Phillies after he was taken with the 77th overall pick of the 2012 amateur draft. The 22-year-old, 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, has 24 homers, 75 RBIs and a .286 batting average in 85 games this year at Double-A Reading -- but has 108 strikeouts in 329 at-bats.
"My dad always wanted me to play baseball. Just a longer career. Easier on the body. Play more games," he said.
Dozier played baseball at Stephen F. Austin, and Kansas City selected him with the eighth overall pick in 2013. The 24-year-old third baseman and outfielder was brought up to Class AAA in May, and he is hitting .341 for Omaha with nine home runs and 30 RBI in 35 games.
Still, on cramped minor league bus rides up to 16 hours long, occasionally he thinks about what an NFL career would have been like.
"But I'm extremely happy with the decision I made," he said.
Sports on 07/12/2016