Nat gonna start
As expected, Max tabbed over Jake
WASHINGTON — As expected, despite having the best ERA in baseball, Mets ace Jacob deGrom is not starting the All-Star Game tonight. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts went with the hometown ace, the Nationals' Max Scherzer instead.
“I am honored to announce Max Scherzer as the National League starting pitcher,” Roberts said. “This is the third time he's going to be making an All-Star start, and it's well deserved. It's his city. It's his ballpark. My opinion, one of the top pitchers in baseball, and I've got a guy on my staff.”
Roberts acknowledged that deGrom was one of the pitchers deserving of the honor.
“There's a lot of great candidates. Jacob deGrom has had a great first half,” Roberts explained, “but for me, I think that I've always tried to make things bigger than me and the club, and I think that Max, for the game of baseball, for our country, he's the right guy to take the baseball.”
Scherzer, whose 2.41 ERA is third in the NL, was the obvious choice with the Midsummer Classic being held in the Nationals' home park. DeGrom, who has a 1.68 ERA and just five wins because of the struggles of the team behind him. He pitched one inning in the 2015 Midsummer Classic, striking out three on 10 pitches.
Roberts pulled deGrom aside after the player media availability Monday at Nationals Park for a short talk. The Dodgers skipper said that deGrom would pitch right behind Scherzer.
DADDY dEGROM
Making his second trip to the All-Star Game was a more low-key event for the Mets ace. He said that he would “do less” this time around, spending more time with his growing family. That includes trying to take 2-year old son Jaxon on the field Monday night for the Home Run Derby.
DeGrom wanted to share the moment with his son, who was not born when his father made his first All-Star Game in 2015, but wasn't sure he would be able to.
“I am nervous about that actually. Guys are trying to hit homers and what if somebody yanks one over there. You are pretty close,” deGrom said. “I am going to have to keep him really close. It's a little nerve-wracking thinking about him out there, honestly.”
NO. 99 ON NO. 2
Aaron Judge is back in the All-Star Game, though he isn't necessarily one of the headliners like he was last year. Judge isn't doing the Home Run Derby after winning it in 2017 when he put on a show in Miami.
“It's all the same excitement, joy, nerves,” Judge said. “But especially the first time, it's a whirlwind. But getting a chance to do everything last year, you kind of know how everything works now. It makes it a little smoother. But it's fun, can't really describe it.”