Tonight's MLB All-Star Game will feature four Colorado Rockies. If you're having a hard time remembering the last time so many Rockies were picked as All-Stars, that's because it's never happened before.
Colorado has had three of its players chosen to be a part of the game seven times, mostly recently in 2015 when Nolan Arenado, D.J. LeMahieu and Troy Tulowitzki played in the Midsummer Classic in Cincinnati. But never four — until this year.
Arenado and Charlie Blackmon will start for the National League. LeMahieu is slated to come off the bench, while Greg Holland will be available in a relief role.
Blackmon, who's hitting .319 with 20 home runs, leads the MLB in hits (117) and triples (10). Arenado, who's tied for the MLB lead in RBI (70), will bat between the Nationals' Daniel Murphy and Ryan Zimmerman in the six-hole.
Arenado and Blackmon were voted into the starting lineup by fans. Neither has started an All-Star game before. They'll face Boston Red Sox lefty Chris Sale, who has a 2.75 ERA and 178 strikeouts.
LeMahieu — chosen as a reserve — is batting .307 this year. He is a Gold Glove candidate at second base. Holland, the MLB's saves leader (28), was picked by Cubs manager Joe Maddon as one of the arms who will come out of the N.L.'s bullpen.
This year they're playing for $ — not home-field advantage
For the first time in a decade and a half, the outcome of the All-Star game won't determine which side gets home-field advantage in the World Series. The MLB did away with the much-criticized rule in December. This year, whichever team racks up the most regular-season wins will get home-field advantage in the World Series.
Last fall, the Cubs were forced to play Game 7 of the World Series in Cleveland, despite the fact that the Cubs won 103 regular-season games and the Indians won 94. Chicago ended up beating Cleveland ... but still.
The only tangible incentive to winning the All-Star game this year is money. Each player on the winning side will earn $20,000, according to USA Today. The losers won't earn anything.
How to watch
When: 6 p.m. MT
Where: Marlins Park, Miami
TV: Fox
Live stream: Fox Sports Go
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