As Final Votes pour in, players make their cases
With just two spots remaining on the All-Star rosters, many of the remaining candidates on Wednesday made their case for inclusion in next week's festivities.
Balloting is now underway for the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote, which allows fans to vote in one additional player from each league through 4 p.m. ET on Friday. The initial results were released Wednesday and the competition is heating up with Toronto's Michael Saunders leading the American League and San Francisco's Brandon Belt in front of the pack in the National League.
The NL-leading Belt was 2-for-4 with two extra-base hits (a double and triple), two runs scored and an RBI in San Francisco's win over the Rockies on Wednesday. Second behind Belt is Pittsburgh's Starling Marte, whose Pirates won their seventh straight game Wednesday, vaulting past the Cardinals to claim second place in the NL Central.
Saunders backed up his votes with his bat in a big way Wednesday, homering and driving in the go-ahead run for the Blue Jays in the eighth inning against the Royals, securing a 4-2 win.
"First and foremost, what's important right now is that we get the wins and finish strong leading into the All-Star break," Saunders said. "Obviously the support that I've received, not only from the guys in the locker room and this organization, but fans all across Canada, words can't explain how grateful I am."
The No. 2 to Saunders, George Springer, also made some noise Wednesday, contributing at the plate as Houston swept the Mariners with a 9-8 victory. Springer pushed his team-leading walk totals to 46 and collected his 51st RBI, good for second on the club.
Dustin Pedroia, Ian Kinsler and Evan Longoria round out the AL field, while Trevor Story, Jake Lamb, then Ryan Braun are the remaining vote-getters in the NL. Lamb made a statement Wednesday, hitting a two-run homer for the D-backs. As did Kinsler, who totaled three hits and three runs scored as his Tigers bested the division-rival Indians. Kinsler's teammate, All-Star first baseman Miguel Cabrera, lobbied for his inclusion.
"We have to make a push," Cabrera said. "Kinsler, I think, is our best player in the lineup. He does everything to win games for us."
For Braun, Belt, Lamb and Pedroia, their All-Star fates are firmly in the hands of the fans. With their clubs off Thursday, they won't have another opportunity to show they belong before voting ends Friday.
Saunders and Kinsler will go head-to-head Thursday as their clubs meet at Rogers Centre, where Saunders can potentially celebrate along with a home crowd after the results are announced during a Final Vote-themed telecast of "MLB Now" on MLB Network and MLB.com on Friday from 4-5 p.m. ET.
Marte, Springer and Story will each also have the opportunity to celebrate at their home ballparks. Marte and the Bucs have one more matchup with the Cardinals in St. Louis before returning home for a three-game series against the first-place Cubs. Springer's Astros host the A's for a four-game series, while Story's Rockies take on the Phillies at Coors Field through the weekend.
If Longoria claims the final AL spot, he'll have to wait to be cheered on by the Tampa Bay fans as the Rays will be in Boston for a brief road trip this weekend when the results are revealed.
Fans can vote for the 2016 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote until 4 p.m. ET on Friday. The winners, as chosen exclusively by online fan voting totals, will be announced during a Final Vote-themed telecast of "MLB Now" featuring commentary from political analyst Jeff Greenfield, live on MLB Network and MLB.com from 4-5 p.m. ET. MLB Network will provide extensive coverage across all of its studio programming during the Final Vote, including interviews with the candidates, frequent updates, heat maps indicating the cities where votes are being cast for each candidate, news on player and club campaigns and a running countdown clock leading up to the announcement.
Baseball fans have cast nearly 600 million online votes for Final Vote candidates since the program's inception in 2002. In addition to MLB.com and the official club websites, fans can use their mobile devices to cast votes at MLB.com/vote or via text message. To receive the ballot, text the word "VOTE" to 89269. To vote for a specific player, fans can text their choice to 89269. EXAMPLE: Text "A3" to vote for AL Player 3 or "N3" to vote for NL Player 3. Message and data rates may apply. Text "STOP" to end and "HELP" for information. Mobile voting in Canada also is available and fans should text their choices to 101010.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Final Vote will include social balloting, as Twitter support for the 10 candidates over the last six hours of balloting will count toward their vote totals. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ET on Friday, any tweet that includes a designated player hashtag will be tabulated as part of the official vote total used to determine the winners.
On Tuesday, July 12, watch the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2016 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 87th All-Star Game, in San Diego, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.
Chad Thornburg is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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