Deadline to back Cardinals in voting near
Carpenter narrowly trails Phillips for top spot among NL second basemen
ST. LOUIS -- With the deadline for All-Star fan voting quickly approaching, Cardinals second baseman Matt Carpenter is still very much in the mix to join teammates Yadier Molina and Carlos Beltran among National League starters.
In the latest All-Star voting results, released on Tuesday, Carpenter (3,186,423 votes) is within reach of the top spot, currently occupied by Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (3,411,839). Carpenter leads the NL with 33 multihit games this season and is second on the team in batting with a .322 average.
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 at 10:59 p.m. CT.
Molina and Beltran are not only tops among NL catchers and outfielders, respectively, but both lead all NL vote-getters, with Molina in first at 5,093,645 votes and Beltran not far behind at 5,013,806. Beltran appears to have run away in the outfielder race, with the nearest player, Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez, trailing by more than 2 million votes.
With 2,697,608 votes, Holliday has climbed into contention for the third outfielder spot. Holliday is fifth, behind the Nationals' Bryce Harper (2,902,393), the Braves' Justin Upton (2,917,659), Gonzalez and Beltran.
Cardinals Allen Craig and David Freese remained in third place at first base and third base with 2,525,399 and 2,376,121 votes, respectively. Craig needs more than 1 million votes to catch Reds first baseman Joey Votto.
Pete Kozma maintained the fourth spot at shortstop, and Jon Jay came in at 11th in the outfield.
For a fourth straight week, every St. Louis position player is represented on the ballot's leaderboard. If Carpenter is able to surpass Phillips by Thursday's deadline, the Cardinals will have three starters, more than any other NL team. They are currently tied with the Reds and the Rockies, with two starters apiece.
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.
Rosters will be unveiled Saturday at 5:30 p.m. CT on the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Taco Bell. The show will be televised nationally on FOX.
From Saturday through Thursday, July 11, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2013 All-Star Game Final Vote Sponsored by freecreditscore.com for the final player for each League's All-Star roster.
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.
NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL-STAR VOTING
(as of July 2)
FIRST BASE
Joey Votto, Reds 3,622,608
Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks 3,035,114
Allen Craig, Cardinals 2,525,399
Brandon Belt, Giants 1,804,152
Freddie Freeman, Braves 1,494,604
SECOND BASE
Brandon Phillips, Reds 3,411,839
Matt Carpenter, Cardinals 3,186,423
Marco Scutaro, Giants 3,142,783
Daniel Murphy, Mets 1,598,297
Chase Utley, Phillies 1,355,750
SHORTSTOP
Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies 4,072,834
Brandon Crawford, Giants 2,383,248
Jean Segura, Brewers 2,072,083
Pete Kozma, Cardinals 1,867,781
Andrelton Simmons, Braves 1,192,066
THIRD BASE
David Wright, Mets 4,452,282
Pablo Sandoval, Giants 3,610,096
David Freese, Cardinals 2,376,121
Chris Johnson, Braves 1,234,095
Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals 1,072,563
CATCHER
Yadier Molina, Cardinals 5,093,645
Buster Posey, Giants 4,674,847
John Buck, Mets 1,446,565
Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks 997,791
Brian McCann, Braves 997,322
OUTFIELD
Carlos Beltran, Cardinals 5,013,806
Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies 2,928,606
Justin Upton, Braves 2,917,659
Bryce Harper, Nationals 2,902,393
Matt Holliday, Cardinals 2,697,608
Andrew McCutchen, Pirates 2,510,614
Hunter Pence, Giants 2,379,606
Ryan Braun, Brewers 2,331,774
Angel Pagan, Giants 2,016,370
Shin-Soo Choo, Reds 1,960,385
Jon Jay, Cardinals 1,825,513
Carlos Gomez, Brewers 1,746,318
Gregor Blanco, Giants 1,717,194
Jay Bruce, Reds 1,454,721
Domonic Brown, Phillies 1,427,696