July 14--The MLB All-Star game will take place Tuesday night at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, with coverage on Fox to start at 4 p.m. PDT and the first pitch slated for around 4:30.
That is, if Mother Nature cooperates.
Rain and possible thunderstorms are expected later in the day with a flash-flood watch in effect for the area through the evening. The worst of it, however, is expected an hour or two before game time, with the chance of rain dropping to 55% by the time the best of the National and American leagues take the field.
When that does happen, watch for a strong Southern California presence, particularly early.
The Dodgers' Zack Greinke will start the game on the mound for the NL -- the first Dodgers pitcher to do so since Brad Penny in 2006. Greinke leads the major leagues with a 1.39 earned-run average. No other starter has an ERA below 2.00.
Two of the first three batters Greinke is scheduled to face are Angels, with outfielder Mike Trout batting first and first baseman Albert Pujols third. Trout and Pujols each have 26 home runs, the most in the American League. Trout has a .312 batting average (sixth-best in the AL) with 55 RBIs (tied for eighth). Pujols is tied for sixth in the AL with 56 RBIs.
Angels pitcher Hector Santiago also made the roster in the AL, as did Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and catcher Yasmani Grandal in the NL.
Starting lineups
American League
1. Mike Trout (Angels), CF
2. Josh Donaldson (Toronto), 3B
3. Albert Pujols (Angels), 1B
4. Nelson Cruz (Seattle), DH
5. Lorenzo Cain (Kansas City), RF
6. Adam Jones (Baltimore), LF
7. Salvador Perez (Kansas City), C
8. Jose Altuve (Houston), 2B
9. Alcides Escobar (Kansas City), SS
SP: Dallas Keuchel (Houston)
National League
1. Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh), CF
2. Todd Frazier (Cincinnati), 3B
3. Bryce Harper (Washington), RF
4. Paul Goldschmidt (Arizona), 1B
5. Buster Posey (San Francisco), C
6. Anthony Rizzo (Chicago Cubs), DH
7. Jhonny Peralta (St. Louis), SS
8. Joc Pederson (Dodgers), LF
9. DJ LeMahieu (Colorado), 2B
SP: Zack Greinke (Dodgers)
