Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer will start for the National League in the All-Star Game in his home ballpark Tuesday.
Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper will bat sixth.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he picked Scherzer to start over deGrom because the game is at Scherzer's home ballpark in Washington. Roberts said starting Scherzer is good for baseball and for the country.
Scherzer (12-5) has a 2.41 ERA and a league-high 182 strikeouts.
Scherzer said pitching in the All-Star Game is the closest he gets to preparing for the postseason. He will be facing some of the best bats in the American League.
Scherzer also started the All-Star Game in 2017, striking out two in giving up one hit in one inning on the mound. He is the 14th player in Major League Baseball history to start the All-Star Game for three different teams after doing so previously with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers.
Harper is hitting .214 with a .365 on-base percentage, .468 slugging percentage, 23 home runs and 54 RBIs. Despite his hitting struggles, Harper is an All-Star — voted in by fans — for the sixth time in his seven-year major league career.
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Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale starts for the American League, his third consecutive All-Star Game start. He's the third player to do that, following Lefty Gomez and Robin Roberts.
