Gonzalez, Ortiz To Start All-Star Game; Beckett, Ellsbury On As Reserves
BOSTON (CBS) - The Red Sox will be sending at least four Red Sox to this year's Mid-Summer Classic.
First baseman Adrian Gonzalez and designated hitter David Ortiz each were voted to start for the American League, joining four Yankees (Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Curtis Granderson), leading vote-getter Jose Bautista of Toronto, Josh Hamilton of Texas, and Tigers rookie catcher Alex Avila.
Red Sox starter Josh Beckett and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury made the team as reserves.
Gonzalez made the team for the fourth straight year, the last three coming as a member of the Padres. The first baseman leads the AL in hitting (.353) and RBI (74) and is tied for 10th with 16 home runs.
Ortiz, meanwhile, leads the Red Sox with 17 home runs and also has 49 RBI. He will captain the AL squad in the Home Run Derby.
Beckett is second in the American League with a 2.20 ERA and has 80 strikeouts over 98.0 innings in what has been a bounce-back year for the 31-year-old.
Ellsbury will be making his first All-Star appearance after a strong first half. He is tied for first in the AL with 25 stolen bases and is batting .300 with 9 HRs, 40 RBI, and a .361 on-base percentage out of the leadoff spot for the Red Sox.
Kevin Youkilis was left off the roster for the second year in a row despite another strong season. He's hitting .270 with 11 home runs, 56 RBI, and a .391 on-base percentage. Former Sox third baseman Adrian Beltre (.265, 14 HR, 61 RBI) made the squad as the backup third baseman behind A-Rod.
Another notable snub is Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, who, despite a .243 batting average, is second in the AL with 25 home runs and 65 RBI.
