CAPITAL CLASH
Scherzer vs. Sale to start All-Star Game again
WASHINGTON – The nation’s capital is hosting the Major League Baseball All-Star Game for the first time in nearly 50 years, but the matchup of starting pitchers for Tuesday’s game is right out of 2017.
Washington’s Max Scherzer and Boston’s Chris Sale got the nod on Monday to start their second All-Star Games in a row. It’s the first time the same set of pitchers started the game in consecutive years since Paul Derringer and Red Ruffing did so in 1939 and 1940.
Also announced on Monday — Diamondbacks slugger Paul Goldschmidt will start for the National League as designated hitter. The DH is not part of the All-Star Game ballot and is selected by the manager.
Scherzer, who began his major-league career with the Diamondbacks, was a no-brainer choice given his 12 victories, 2.41 ERA, NL-best 182 strikeouts and the game being in Washington. NL manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers complimented New York Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom, who will get the ball second, but said the setting was the tiebreaker.
“It’s his city. It’s his ballpark,” Roberts said. “I’ve always tried to
make things bigger than me and the club. And I think that Max, for the game of baseball, for our country, he’s the right guy to take the baseball.”
Sale, who opens for the American League, is starting a third consecutive All-Star Game, joining Lefty Gomez and Robin Roberts as the only pitchers to manage that feat.
Each pitcher made his first All-Star start with a different team – Sale for the White Sox and Scherzer for the Tigers. When asked what each admired about the other, Scherzer said: “I think we said this last year.”
Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch said the New York Yankees’ Luis Severino will come in after Sale, followed by the Tampa Bay Rays’ Blake Snell.
Sale’s Boston teammate Mookie Betts leads off for the AL, followed by Jose Altuve (Astros), Mike Trout (Angels), J.D. Martinez (Red Sox), Jose Ramirez (Indians), Aaron Judge (Yankees), Manny Machado (Orioles), Jose Abreu (White Sox) and Salvador Perez (Royals).
Cubs second baseman Javier Baez leads off for the NL, followed by Nolan Arenado (Rockies), Goldschmidt, Freddie Freeman (Braves), Matt Kemp (Dodgers), Bryce Harper (Nationals), Nick Markakis (Braves), Brandon Crawford (Giants) and Willson Contreras (Cubs).
Despite all the top talent at the plate, All-Star Games rarely turn into runfests. They’re often limited by the strong stable of pitchers each team brings, boosted by dominant relievers such as Craig Kimbrel, Josh Hader and Kenley Jansen ramped up to throw one inning apiece.
The AL won last year 2-1 at Miami on a 10th-inning home run by Seattle’s Robinson Cano. Not since 2007, in fact, have both teams scored more than three runs in a game.
The American League has won the past five All-Star Games and 17 of 21. The leagues have won 43 games apiece and there have been two ties.
Washington’s last turn as all-star host came in 1969. Two years later, the Senators of the American League left after the season and became the Texas Rangers. The Nationals are the former Montreal Expos and moved to Washington for the 2005 season. They played their first game at Nationals Park in 2008. All-Star Lineups American League Mookie Betts, rf, Boston
Jose Altuve, 2b, Houston
Mike Trout, cf, L.A. Angeles
J.D. Martinez, dh, Boston
Jose Ramirez, 3b, Cleveland Aaron Judge, lf, N.Y. Yankees Manny Machado, ss, Baltimore Jose Abreu, 1b, Chicago White Sox Salvador Perez, c, Kansas City Chris Sale, Boston, lhp
National League Javier Baez, 2b, Chicago Cubs Nolan Arenado, 3b, Colorado
Paul Goldschmidt, dh, Arizona Freddie Freeman, 1b, Atlanta
Matt Kemp, lf, L.A. Dodgers Bryce Harper, cf, Washington
Nick Markakis, rf, Atlanta Brandon Crawford, ss, San Francisco Willson Contreras, c, Chicago Cubs Max Scherzer, rhp, Washington