McCutchen in ballot mix, but needs more support

CHICAGO -- Andrew McCutchen, the lone Pirates player on the leader board in balloting for the 2013 All-Star Game, made up ground in Sunday night's second update of the National League voting results, despite slipping a spot in the rankings.

McCutchen dropped from seventh to eighth place among NL outfielders, yet the Bucs' center fielder and centerpiece had a good week with 380,000 votes to gain on his competition.

McCutchen, with a total of 952,618 votes, is in a scrum with five other contenders, from the Reds' Shin-Soo Choo to the Cardinals' Matt Holliday. Those six are bunched within fewer than 200,000 votes of each other, and on the heels of St. Louis' Carlos Beltran, who currently holds down the final starting spot with 1,550,844 votes.

Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or via a mobile device -- using the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot until Thursday, July 4, at 10:59 p.m. CT.

Fans may submit 25 online ballots during the voting period but can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, fans must be logged into an MLB.com account when submitting any online ballot. To obtain an MLB.com account, visit www.mlb.com and register in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.

Fans can also once again participate in the Home Run Derby Fan Poll. Fans will have the opportunity to select three players in each league whom they would most like to see participate in the Home Run Derby. The 2013 Home Run Derby -- part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day -- will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States beginning at 7 p.m. CT on Monday, July 15.

The 2013 AL and NL All-Star teams will be unveiled on Sunday, July 7, on the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show, televised nationally on TBS. Baseball fans around the world will then be able to select the final player on each team via the All-Star Game Final Vote sponsored by freecreditscore.com on MLB.com.

And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the official voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans will vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the official vote determining the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

The 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field on Tuesday, July 16. MLB.com will have extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities.

The 84th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM also will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Pirates fans will be able to rally in support of McCutchen, as well as strive to propel his teammates among the vote leaders, during the high-visibility homestand that begins on Tuesday at PNC Park.

The six-game stay will open with uber right-handed prospect Gerrit Cole starting on Tuesday against the Giants in his Major League debut. After three games with San Francisco, the Los Angeles Dodgers will bring magnetic and crushing rookie Yasiel Puig to town.

Buccos fans can sing, "Take Me To The River" and, as long as they're by the Allegheny, stop by the All-Star ballot box, too.

NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL-STAR BALLOTING
(as of June 9)

CATCHER
1. Buster Posey, Giants: 1,961,861
2. Yadier Molina, Cardinals: 1,684,700
3. John Buck, Mets: 692,170
4. Brian McCann, Braves: 467,522
5. Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers: 423,115

FIRST BASE
1. Joey Votto, Reds: 1,569,477
2. Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks: 928,647
3. Brandon Belt, Giants: 778,883
4. Allen Craig, Cardinals: 767,645
5. Freddie Freeman, Braves: 704,578

SECOND BASE
1. Brandon Phillips, Reds: 1,541,720
2. Marco Scutaro, Giants: 1,285,076
3. Matt Carpenter, Cardinals: 913,778
4. Chase Utley, Phillies: 774,314

SHORTSTOP
1. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies: 1,691,262
2. Brandon Crawford, Giants: 1,015,633
3. Jean Segura, Brewers: 835,329
4. Pete Kozma, Cardinals: 595,416
5. Andrelton Simmons, Braves: 592,286

THIRD BASE
1. Pablo Sandoval, Giants: 1,674,157
2. David Wright, Mets: 1,473,381
3. David Freese, Cardinals: 720,939
4. Chris Johnson, Braves: 635,138
5. Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals: 532,493

OUTFIELD
1. Justin Upton, Braves: 1,666,026
2. Bryce Harper, Nationals: 1,616,784
3. Carlos Beltran, Cardinals: 1,550,844
4. Ryan Braun, Brewers: 1,283,103
5. Shin-Soo Choo, Reds: 1,043,839
6. Hunter Pence, Giants: 984,734
7. Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies: 955,568
8. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates: 952,618
9. Angel Pagan, Giants: 871,143
10. Matt Holliday, Cardinals: 868,829
11. Gregor Blanco, Giants: 722,441
12. Carlos Gomez, Brewers: 704,106
13. B.J. Upton, Braves: 582,401
14. Jon Jay, Cardinals: 577,251
15. Jay Bruce, Reds: 556,894