Padre Manny Machado will start at third base for the National League at the All-Star Game in Atlanta in two weeks.
He won the fan vote, over Dodger Max Muncy, and will make the All-Star starting lineup for the fourth time in his career and the second time as a Friar.
“Obviously, I think the best part about it is the fans voted – thanks to all those people who put their time into it and recognized what we’ve been doing,” Machado told MLB.com.
Machado finished Wednesday’s doubleheader – the Padres won the first game 6-4 and dropped the second 5-1 – in Philadelphia hitting .289 with 13 home runs. He also leads the clubs in hits and doubles.
“Manny’s an anchor of our organization, not just our team,” manager Mike Shildt told MLB.com.
MLB will announce pitchers and reserves on Sunday and Machado is unlikely to be the only Friar in Atlanta. Outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and starter Nick Pivetta have shots too.
Back on the field – by winning Wednesday’s nightcap, the Phillies won the series. The two NL playoff hopefuls will meet again in San Diego in the final series before the All-Star break next weekend.
The Padres scored on an RBI single by Jackson Merrill in the fourth inning in the loss. In the first game, the standouts were Machado, with a bases-clearing double in the Friars’ five-run second, and Pivetta, who allowed one run and struck out six in seven innings.
Randy Vasquez (3-4, 3.84 ERA) is set to pitch for the Padres when, after an off day Thursday, they return home to open a three-game series against Texas. It’s an early start – 3:40 p.m. on Independence Day.
The Rangers have yet to announce a starter.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
