Franchise record four Royals tabbed American League All-Star starters

KANSAS CITY, MO (July 5, 2015) - A franchise record four Kansas City Royals will represent the American League as starters in the 2015 All-Star Game, Major League Baseball announced today. Catcher Salvador Perez, shortstop Alcides Escobar and outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon will all be in the starting lineup in the Midsummer Classic set for Tuesday, July 14 at Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark.

The four Royals starters are the most voted on by any one team since the Boston Red Sox had four elected A.L. starters in 2008, though David Ortiz could not participate due to injury. The total of four also passes the previous franchise record of three, set in 1979, when catcher Darrell Porter, second baseman Frank White and third baseman George Brett all started for the A.L.

Perez, 25, will make his second-straight All-Star start behind the plate, receiving 13,747,294 votes. The three-time All-Star has connected for six home runs since June 7 with his 13 roundtrippers overall tied for the most by an American League catcher. He recorded his 500^th career hit a week ago, becoming the sixth-young Royal to reach that mark at 25 years, 49 days.

Escobar, 28, is also making his first appearance at the Midsummer Classic, accumulating 11,960,907 votes. In his fifth year with the Royals, Esky has recorded 23 multi-hit games this season, while he ranked fifth among A.L. leadoff hitters with 28 RBI heading into Sunday's action. He was also tied for sixth in the league with a .357 batting average with runners in scoring position.

Cain, 29, will be making his first All-Star Game appearance, receiving 12,399,127 votes. The sixth-year outfielder entered Sunday fifth in the league with a .309 batting average, with 17 doubles, four triples, six homers, 36 RBI and 16 steals, which ranked third in the A.L. He was also tops in the American League, hitting .389 with two outs this season and fourth in the Majors, batting .384 since June 10.

Gordon, 31, was selected to his third-straight All-Star Game, but will be making his first start after getting 10,609,006 votes to finish third in the outfield balloting. Alex entered Sunday eighth in the American League in on-base percentage (.377), which included reaching via a hit or a walk in 23 of his last 26 games. A four-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner and 2014 Rawlings Platinum Glove winner for the A.L., Gordon has three outfield assists this season and a Major League-high 65 since the start of 2011.

The remainder of the American League and National League All-Star teams will be announced tomorrow evening.