Martinez moves up in NL Final Vote race
Trails only Reds' Cueto in latest update; polls close Friday
Carlos Martinez has surged into second place in the National League in the 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote, overtaking Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in a race that has been tight from the outset.
• Cast your Esurance Final Vote for Martinez
Martinez shined in his final chance to further make his case Thursday night, when he shut out the Pirates over 7 1/3 innings in a 4-1 victory at PNC Park. Martinez extended his streak to 10 consecutive quality starts.
When he took the hill, the Cardinals' Twitter account helped Martinez's cause. In a "Let's Play #VoteTsunami" campaign, the Cardinals were asking the following from fans: 10 votes for a strikeout, 20 for a scoreless inning, and 25 for a three up, three down inning.
When the voting began Tuesday, Martinez had the lead, but a day later, he fell into third-place behind Reds starter Johnny Cueto (the current leader) and Tulowitzki.
:: All-Star Game on Fox: July 14, 7 ET air time | 8:15 game time ::
While voting closes Friday at 3 p.m. CT, the race is far from over, with the top four players in the NL, including Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, separated by 1 percent.
During the All-Star Game presented by T-Mobile in Cincinnati on Tuesday, fans can once again visit MLB.com to submit their choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. Voting exclusively at MLB.com, online and via their mobile devices in the 2015 All-Star Game MVP Vote presented by Chevrolet, the fans' collective voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.
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