Chris Davis, this year’s top home run hitter with 33, was among three Baltimore Orioles players who were named starters for the 84th Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 16.
Davis will start at first base for the American League while teammate J.J. Hardy opens at shortstop and Baltimore’s Adam Jones starts as an outfielder in the annual showdown against the National League, set for New York’s Citi Field.
The National League All-Stars defeated the American League’s elite squad 8-0 in last year’s Mid-summer Classic for their third victory in a row in a rivalry they lead 43-38 with two drawn.
Fans voted for their favorites in determining starting fielders while the rival managers, Detroit’s Jim Leyland for the American League and San Francisco’s Bruce Bochy in the National, selected pitchers and reserves.
Whichever side wins the all-star matchup will earn their eventual league champion the home-field edge in the best-of-seven World Series championship final.
Toronto slugger Jose Bautista and Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels will also start in the outfield for the American League.
Detroit third baseman Miguel Cabrera, who leads the American League in batting average and runs batted in, is among a major-league-best six Tigers in the All-Star Game.
Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer, New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano and Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz were also selected to start for the American League.
The National League lineup features 20-year-old Bryce Harper of Washington in the outfield along with Carlos Beltran of St. Louis and Carlos Gonzalez of Colorado.
Cincinnati’s Joey Votto will start at first base and teammate Brandon Phillips will open at second base. David Wright of the New York Mets will start at third with Colorado’s Troy Tulowitzki, currently injured, was named at shortstop.
Yadier Molina of St. Louis will be the NL starting catcher.
Japanese standout Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers was among the pitchers chosen for the all-star matchup, along with Detroit’s Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, Seattle’s Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma, Toronto’s Brett Cecil, Boston’s Clay Buchholz, Oakland’s Bartolo Colon, Chicago’s Jesse Crain and Chris Sale, Joe Nathan of Texas, Cleveland’s Justin Masterson and Minnesota’s Glen Perkins.
Yankees closing relief ace Mariano Rivera was named an All-Star for the 13th and final time, having said this will be his final season.
National League pitchers include San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner, Florida rookie Jose Fernandez, Arizona’s Patrick Corbin, Cincinnati’s Aroldis Chapman, New York’s Matt Harvey, Los Angeles’ Clayton Kershaw, Philadelphia’s Cliff Lee, Pittsburgh’s Jeff Locke, St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright, Pittsburgh’s Jason Grilli, Atlanta’s Craig Kimbrel, Chicago’s Travis Wood and Washington’s Jordan Zimmermann.
In addition, one final all-star spot was left available to fan voting for each team.
In the American League, it will be between relief pitchers Steve Delabar of Toronto, David Robertson of the Yankees, Koji Uehara of Boston, Joaquin Benoit of Detroit and Tanner Scheppers of Texas.
In the National League, contenders include Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig, San Francisco outfielder Hunter Pence, Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman, Washington shortstop Ian Desmond and Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
Orioles trio among All-Star Game starters
