MLB

• NL Central: Cubs lacking star power

  
  

  By Scott Garbarini, MLB Contributing Editor National League Central Team Report (Sports Network) - It was virtually impossible to ignore the Chicago Cubs' presence during the 2008 All-Star Game. The team's impact won't be nearly as widespread, however, when baseball's best players converge on St. Louis' Busch Stadium on Tuesday for the latest edition of the Midsummer Classic.

  The Cubs sent a franchise-record seven players, including a trio of starters in outfielders Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome and catcher Geovany Soto, to last year's All-Star Game, a reward for a stellar regular season that culminated in an National League-best 97 victories. And that list doesn't contain right fielder Milton Bradley, Chicago's premier offseason acquisition who made the 2008 AL All-Star squad while with the Texas Rangers.

  Fast forward a year, and there will be only player -- starting pitcher Ted Lilly -- representing the Cubs for Tuesday's event, and no one on the current roster can be viewed as a glaring omission for an All-Star honor.

  That lack of viable candidates helps explain why the Cubs have been labeled one of the major disappointments of this season's first half. Chicago enters the break with a 43-43 record that serves as a fitting symbol of the team's overall mediocre play over these last three-plus months.

  In contrast, the Cubs had amassed a 57-38 mark and owned a comfortable 4 1/2- game lead over the rival St. Louis Cardinals for first place in the NL Central at the 2008 All-Star break.

  While many of his teammates are experiencing down years, Lilly is quietly putting together one of his best seasons. The 33-year-old lefty's 3.18 earned run average is the lowest of his 11-year career and he's racked up 101 strikeouts in 119 innings to go along with a 9-6 record.

  "He deserved it," first baseman Derrek Lee said to the Cubs' official site after learning of Lilly's selection. "He's had a great first half and kept us in every game he's started. He should be an All-Star." Lilly, who participated in the 2004 All-Star Game for the American League while with Toronto, both bolstered his case and reached a significant milestone with a standout performance in Saturday's 5-2 triumph over the division-leading Cardinals. He limited St. Louis to only one run and four hits over eight innings to notch the 100th career win.

  HOST CARDINALS TO BE WELL REPRESENTED All eyes will be cast upon the city of St. Louis and the Cardinals organization on Tuesday, and fans of the home team figure to get plenty of opportunities to see some of their favorite players -- both past and present -- when the club plays host to its first All-Star Game since 1966.

  First baseman Albert Pujols and catcher Yadier Molina were tabbed to the NL's starting lineup via fan balloting, while closer Ryan Franklin was named by Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel as one of the team's reserve pitchers. Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa will be on hand as well, serving as one of Manuel's two coaches for the event.

  Pujols will also take part in Monday's popular Home Run Derby and was chosen to receive the ceremonial first pitch from President Barack Obama, who will be flanked by Cardinals Hall of Famers Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Red Schoendienst, Bruce Sutter and Ozzie Smith.

  While Pujols will be quite a busy man over the course of the three-day celebration, Franklin gets the opportunity to relish the first-ever All-Star nod of what's been a 17-year professional career filled with its ups and downs. The 36-year-old toiled eight seasons in the minors before breaking into the big leagues with Seattle in 2001 and had never served as a full-time closer until this season.

  Franklin not only owes Manuel a debt of gratitude for placing him on this year's team, but for helping him resurrect his career as well. The right- hander had worked exclusively as a starter before coming to the Phillies in 2006 and being used out of the bullpen by Manuel. Three years later, Franklin has emerged as one of the game's most reliable closers and enters the break with a sensational 0.79 earned run average and 21 saves in 22 chances.

  "I didn't like it much, but I thank him every time I see him for that," said Franklin about Manuel's decision.

  Pujols, who will making his seventh straight All-Star appearance, will bat third for the NL in Tuesday's game. Molina, a first-time honoree, is slated to hit eighth in the order.

  WELCOME CHANGE OF PLANS FOR BREWERS' HOFFMAN The Milwaukee Brewers will also have three players going to the All-Star game after veteran closer Trevor Hoffman was named as a late addition to the NL roster on Sunday. The 41-year-old takes the place of Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Jonathan Broxton, who will miss the contest due to an injured toe.

  Hoffman joins left fielder Ryan Braun, selected as a starter in fan voting, and slugging first baseman Prince Fielder as Milwaukee's representatives. It's the fourth straight season the Brewers, who trail the first-place Cardinals by 2 1/2 games in the NL Central race, will send at least three players to the Midsummer Classic.

  Baseball's all-time leader with 574 saves, Hoffman received the seventh All- Star selection of his brilliant career. Although the first-year Brewer has warranted the honor by converting 20-of-22 save opportunities and posting a 2.05 ERA in 27 appearances, he admitted being a little shocked when told of the news on Sunday morning.

  "It was a big surprise," he told the Brewers' official site. "It's nice to come in and have that kind of news get dropped on you. It's a big honor to be able to represent not only the Brewers, but the Brewer bullpen and what they've accomplished in the first half." Hoffman was one of two Brewer hurlers the team felt were snubbed when the initial All-Star rosters were revealed on July 5. Starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo, who has garnered eight wins and ranks fourth in the NL with 123 strikeouts, also had made a strong case for inclusion.

  Gallardo hasn't been All-Star worthy as of late, however. The hard-throwing righty dropped his third straight start in Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Dodgers and has allowed nine runs in 10 innings over his last two mound trips.

  PIRATES' DUKE MAKES TEAM AS WELL Hoffman wasn't the only pitcher from the division to be named as an injury replacement on Sunday. Pittsburgh Pirates southpaw Zach Duke was also chosen by Manuel to fill the spot held by San Francisco's Matt Cain, who took a line drive off his right elbow in a start against San Diego on Saturday.

  Although Duke is just 8-8 on the season, he's posted a very solid 3.29 earned run average and has delivered 13 quality starts in 18 outings for the year. The Pirates have scored a mere 10 runs in his eight defeats.

  "It's well-deserved, and he'll be a good representative for us," manager John Russell told Pittsburgh's official site. "If we'd scored a few more runs for him, he'd have been be a shoo-in. But things have a way of working out." The honor also validates the faith the Pirates have in Duke, a 20th-round draft choice by the club in 2001 who's struggled in recent years. After bursting onto the major-league scene by going 8-2 with a 1.81 ERA in 14 starts as a rookie in 2005, the 26-year-old compiled a 18-37 record over the next three seasons and slumped to a 5-14 mark last year.

  Duke's addition gives Pittsburgh two All-Stars for only the third time in the past 16 years. Jason Bay and Freddy Sanchez both received invites in 2006, while Jason Kendall and Brian Giles were each named in 2000.

  Sanchez is headed to the All-Star Game for the third time in four years after putting together a strong first half. The standout second baseman leads the Bucs with a .316 average and is tied for second among NL hitters with 27 doubles.

  BAD BREAK FOR REDS' BRUCE Jay Bruce's already-trying 2009 campaign took a turn for the worse on Saturday, when the young Cincinnati Reds outfielder suffered a fractured right wrist in the first inning of his team's 4-0 loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field.

  Bruce hurt himself while attempting to make a sliding catch on a sinking line drive off the bat of New York's David Wright. The talented 22-year-old's right hand bent back akwardly as he hit the ground with his weight forwardly placed, causing the bone to break.

  An MRI taken on Sunday showed no ligament or tendon damage, which means Bruce will avoid surgery that would likely end his season. Still, he's expected to be sidelined from six-to-eight weeks.

  Injuries such as Bruce's have been nothing new to the Reds this season. Cincinnati has been able to field its regular cast of position players in only 10 games, with first baseman Joey Votto, shortstop Alex Gonzalez and third baseman Edwin Encarnacion all having missed extended time. In addition, staff ace Edinson Volquez has been limited to just nine starts due to elbow problems that have put his season in jeopardy.

  "It seems you get one guy back and lose another guy," said Reds manager Dusty Baker. "We're being tested in some kind of way, but have to keep pushing and keep fighting." Bruce had been in danger of losing playing time even before getting hurt. Although the well-regarded prospect leads Cincinnati with 18 home runs, only one of those has come over the last 20 games and he's batting an anemic .175 since June 1.

  Chris Dickerson started for Bruce in Sunday's game against the Mets and is expected to receive the bulk of time in right field over the coming weeks.

  ASTROS, MOEHLER FINISH STRONG Houston's Brian Moehler made his final start of the first half an excellent one, as the journeyman pitcher fired 6 1/3 shutout innings to lead the Astros to a 5-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

  Moehler, who scattered seven hits and walked two on the afternoon, has emerged as one of the unsung heroes in Houston's steady surge to contention in the NL Central. The righthander is 5-2 with a 3.52 earned run average over his last nine starts, while his six wins on the season are one more than even ace Roy Oswalt has accumulated thus far.

  The 37-year-old's effort came one day after Houston pitchers were battered for 21 hits in a 13-2 shellacking by the Nationals. Starter Mike Hampton lasted just 3 2/3 innings in that game, leaving manager Cecil Cooper with precious few options out of the bullpen for Sunday.

  "I knew our bullpen was a little short today, so I was trying to get as deep as I could into the ballgame," Moehler said afterward.

  Saturday's loss was the lone setback in the Astros' four-game series with Washington, and the team evened its season record at 44-44 with Sunday's decision. Houston closed out the first half with six wins over its final eight tilts and has gone 12-6 since June 25.

  The Astros will have two players in uniform for Tuesday's All-Star Game, with shortstop Miguel Tejada and outfielder Hunter Pence both being voted by the players as reserves. The selection is the sixth for Tejada, the MVP of the 2005 All-Star Game while then a member of the Baltimore Orioles, while Pence will be making the trip for the first time.

  07/13 17:07:28 ET