American League favored in Tuesday’s All-Star Game

The American League is the home team in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Kansas City tonight and that’s probably the only reason the Junior Circuit is a -141 favorite on WagerWeb.com. The total is set at 8.5.

The starting pitchers were announced Monday. Ron Washington is going with Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander as the American League starter. Verlander is 9-5 with a 2.58 ERA in 18 starts this season. National League manager Tony La Russa named San Francisco right-hander Matt Cain as the NL starter. Cain is 9-3 with a 2.62 ERA in 17 starts.

The lineups were also announced.

American League — 1. Derek Jeter, ss; 2. Robinson Cano, 2b; 3. Josh Hamilton, lf; 4. Jose Bautista, rf; 5. Prince Fielder, 1b; 6. Adrian Beltre, 3b; 7. David Ortiz, dh; 8. Mike Napoli, c; 9. Curtis Granderson, cf.

National League — 1. Carlos Gonzalez, dh; 2. Melky Cabrera, cf; 3. Ryan Braun, lf; 4. Joey Votto, 1b; 5. Carlos Beltran, rf; 6. Buster Posey, c;  7. Pablo Sandoval, 3b; 8. Dan Uggla, 2b; 9. Rafael Furcal, ss.

It’s the first time four Giants will start an All-Star Game – there were three in 1934, 1981 and 2001 – and this is the first all-Giants battery to start.

There are three Rangers starting for the AL. Hamilton, who finished the first half batting .308 and leads the league with 75 RBIs and 27 homers (tied with Bautista), is making his fifth straight All-Star Game start. Hamilton has batted all over the order in his previous four All-Star Game starts: fifth in 2011, cleanup in 2010, sixth in 2009 and third in 2008. He bats third in the Rangers’ lineup.

After going 13 straight years without a win, the NL has started to turn the tables on their counterparts and was a 5-1 winner last season thanks in part to a three-run home run from Prince Fielder, who won the Home Run Derby on Monday as a member of the AL’s Tigers.

Tonight’s contest marks the third time that the All-Star Game has been played in Kansas City, but the first since July 24, 1973, when the NL won, 7-1, at what was then known as Royals Stadium. That contest also marked the 24th and final All-Star appearance by Hall of Famer Willie Mays.

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