Cards seek push toward top in NL All-Star voting

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals own baseball's best record, yet are noticeably absent among the All-Star front-runners.

The first National League All-Star results were released Tuesday, and while the Cards have six players in the running, none are leading at their respective positions. Second baseman Matt Carpenter, third baseman David Freese, shortstop Pete Kozma, catcher Yadier Molina and outfielders Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday all rank among the leaders at their position, but are behind in votes.

Molina leads the way for St. Louis with 938,911 votes but trails Giants catcher Buster Posey, who tops the position at 1,275,956. Molina, a four-time All-Star, boasted the NL's best batting average at .350.

Beltran is the second leading vote-getter on the Cardinals, with 847,924, good for fourth among NL outfielders. He trails Ryan Braun, Bryce Harper and Justin Upton. Holliday is among the middle of the pack with 491,629 votes.

Matt Carpenter (439,239) and David Freese (375,428) are both fourth at their respective positions. Carpenter has made the switch to batting leadoff for the Cards this season and has excelled doing so while continuing to provide a steady defensive presence at second base. Carpenter was batting .313 with a .394 on-base percentage and had tied a career high with a 12-game hitting streak. Freese rebounded from a slow start with a 13-game hit streak of his own, which was the longest active hit streak in the Majors, heading into Tuesday's action.

Kozma is fifth in shortstop voting at 311,852 votes. He was hitting .260 with 21 RBIs and had turned a team-high 42 double plays from second base.

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 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 American League and National League 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. Come to MLB.com for 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.