(PhatzRadio Sports / AP) — WASHINGTON — It will be a rerun at the start of Tuesday night’s All-Star Game. This one will feel a little different for Max Scherzer, however.
Scherzer’s accomplished major league career will add yet another milestone when he starts for the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game, giving the Washington Nationals right-hander and three-time Cy Young Award winner the honor of seizing the spotlight in front of his home crowd at Nationals Park.
“It’s his city. It’s his ballpark,” says Los Angeles Dodgers and NL manager Dave Roberts, who noted that NL ERA leader Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets was also under strong consideration. “It’s an honor to give the ball to Max and watch him do his thing.
“I’ve tried to make things bigger than me and the club. And Max, for the game of baseball and for our country, is the right guy to take the ball.”
Said Scherzer: “When Dave told me he was going to give me the nod, there were so many emotions knowing you’d be pitching in your home park. I can only imagine how the Nats fans will be here supporting us. To go out and start this thing again, it’s a dream come true.”
For the second consecutive season, Scherzer, 33, and Sale, the Boston Red Sox lefty, were tabbed to start for their respective leagues, the first time that’s happened since 1940, when Red Ruffing and Paul Derringer squared off in back-to-back-years. Sale, the AL ERA leader, is making his third consecutive All-Star start.
“He is truly a special pitcher in our league, truly someone who deserves this honor,” AL manager A.J. Hinch said of his starter.
Sale is just the third pitcher in history to start three consecutive All-Star Games, joining Hall of Famers Robin Roberts and Lefty Gomez.
The welcome this year figures to be more boisterous this time for Scherzer, who is 12-5 with a 2.41 ERA. Last year’s start came at Marlins Park. He also started the 2013 game at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium, when he was a member of the Detroit Tigers.
Here are the full lineups:
American League
- Mookie Betts (Red Sox) – RF
- Jose Altuve (Astros) – 2B
- Mike Trout (Angels) – CF
- J.D. Martinez (Red Sox) – DH
- Jose Ramirez (Indians) – 3B
- Aaron Judge (Yankees) – LF
- Manny Machado (Orioles) – SS
- Jose Abreu (White Sox) – 1B
- Salvador Perez (Royals) – C
National League
- Javier Baez (Cubs) – 2B
- Nolan Arenado (Rockies) – 3B
- Paul Goldschmidt (Diamondbacks) – DH
- Freddie Freeman (Braves) – 1B
- Matt Kemp (Dodgers) – LF
- Bryce Harper (Nationals) – CF
- Nick Markakis (Braves) – RF
- Brandon Crawford (Giants) – SS
- Willson Contreras (Cubs) – C
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A first half that never seemed to end has finally reached the All-Star break.
And several storylines have dominated Major League Baseball heading into its symbolic halfway point – many of them coming out of Boston. As the league pauses for a four-day break – save for the 80-plus All-Stars heading to Washington for the Midsummer Classic, USA TODAY Sports breaks down the most eye-opening numbers so far:
112 – Games the Boston Red Sox are on pace to win, should they maintain their .694 percentage. Even with a slight dropoff, the Red Sox can surpass their franchise record 105 victories, achieved in 1912.
116 – Games the Kansas City Royals are on pace to lose, should they maintain their .284 percentage. The Royals, White Sox and Orioles are well on pace to lose at least 100 games.
29 – Home runs hit by J.D. Martinez, tied for No. 1 in the American League. The Red Sox were the lone legitimate suitor Martinez had last winter and he is already living up to his $110 million contract: A .328 batting average, a 1.037 OPS and an immeasurable dose of dominance that he brings to a suffocating Boston lineup.
.247 – Batting average, the lowest since 1968, when the major league average was .237 and the mound was lowered the following season. The Orioles are batting a league-low .227.
234 – More strikeouts than hits, which when it holds will be the first time in major league history that’s occurred. The league is averaging 8.51 strikeouts per game – the highest rate ever in the majors.
20 – Players with at least 20 home runs.
0 – Home runs Jesus Aguilar hit in 58 career at-bats with the Cleveland Indians. He’s hit 24 in 272 at-bats with the Milwaukee Brewers this season.
5.8 – Percentage drop in attendance from 2017.
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Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby will commence Monday evening from Washington’s Nationals Park, the fourth installment since the event went to a timed format.
While the event has long veered from an American League-National League format – this year, seven sluggers from the NL will participate, to just one from the AL – the clock has added significant juice to an event that was fading in appeal just a bit.
Since then, Cincinnati Reds slugger Todd Frazier, then-Miami Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton and New York Yankees rookie sensation Aaron Judge have captured the title, be.
Monday night, hometown hero Bryce Harper will take aim at the second deck at Nationals Park in his second attempt to win it.
What to know:
Time/TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN.
The matchups: No. 1 seed Jesus Aguilar, Brewers (24 home runs) vs. No. 8 Rhys Hoskins, Phillies (14 homers)
No. 2 Bryce Harper, Nationals (23 homers) vs. No. 7 Freddie Freeman, Braves (16 homers)
No. 3 Max Muncy, Dodgers (22 homers), vs. No. 6 Javy Baez, Cubs (19 homers)
No. 4 Alex Bregman, Astros (20 homers) vs. No. 5 Kyle Schwarber, Cubs (18 homers)