Baseball’s best are on display in the nation’s capital on Tuesday night as the annual MLB All-Star Game takes place at Nationals Park.
As was the case in last year’s Midsummer Classic, home-field advantage is not on the line, so it is just an exhibition game. Albeit one with financial implications.
But that an impact on the World Series isn’t at stake certainly makes things easier for Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who is managing the National League roster, and AJ Hinch of the Houston Astros, who is heading up the American League team.
Roberts hopes to get the NL back in the win column as they have lost five straight to the AL and eight of the last 11.
For the second straight season, Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals and Chris Sale of the Boston Red Sox are starting on the mound for their respective leagues.
It is Scherzer’s and Sale’s third starts each overall in an All-Star Game, with Sale’s coming in the past three seasons.
Both are having Cy Young caliber seasons, ranking first and second in all of baseball in strikeouts, respectively.
In 20 starts this season, Sale is 10-4 with a 2.23 ERA, 2.17 FIP and 0.90 WHIP while striking out 188 and walking 31 in 129 innings. He is a big reason that the Red Sox boast the best record in all of baseball at the break.
Hinch said in his press conference on Monday that Sale will be followed by Luis Severino of the New York Yankees and then Blake Snell of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Scherzer is 12-5 for the Nationals with a 2.41 ERA, 2.80 FIP and 0.90 WHIP in 20 starts. He has struck out 182 while walking 34 in 134.2 innings. Roberts has pegged baseball’s ERA leader, Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets, to follow him.
The Dodgers sent three players to this year’s game, as Matt Kemp will be batting fifth and starting in left field for the NL while Ross Stripling and Kenley Jansen will be available out of the bullpen. Given his workload in the first half of the season, it would not be surprising if Jansen did not pitch in the game though.
National League lineup:
2B: Javier Baez (Cubs)
3B: Nolan Arenado (Rockies)
DH: Paul Goldschmidt (Diamondbacks)
1B: Freddie Freeman (Braves)
LF: Matt Kemp (Dodgers)
CF: Bryce Harper (Nationals)
RF: Nick Markakis (Braves)
SS: Brandon Crawford (Giants)
C: Willson Contreras (Cubs)
American League lineup:
RF: Mookie Betts (Red Sox)
2B: Jose Altuve (Astros)
CF: Mike Trout (Angels)
DH: J.D. Martinez (Red Sox)
3B: Jose Ramirez (Indians)
LF: Aaron Judge (Yankees)
SS: Manny Machado (Orioles)
1B: Jose Abreu (White Sox)
C: Salvador Perez (Royals)
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