Astros lead way with 6 All-Stars

The game will be July 9 at Progressive Field in Cleveland

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Last time the Houston Astros went to Cleveland, they made a boozy, bubbly mess in the visiting locker room.

Now they’re invading the home clubhouse, too.

Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and four of their Astros teammates will lead the American League squad at the All-Star Game in Cleveland on July 9.

Major League Baseball unveiled full rosters for the midsummer showcase Sunday, and Houston topped all big league clubs with six players. No other AL team has more than three.

“Impressive,” Verlander said. “I mean, I think we could have a lot more.”

Alex Bregman, George Springer and Michael Brantley will be in the starting lineup, and Verlander, Cole and Ryan Pressly are on the pitching staff. It will be the first trip to Cleveland for those Astros since Game 3 of last year’s AL Division Series, when Houston won 11-3 to complete a sweep.

The Dodgers, Brewers and Rockies lead the NL with four players each. The Los Angeles contingent includes Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Walker Buehler — plenty of familiar faces for manager Dave Roberts.

Milwaukee will be represented by Christian Yelich, Mike Moustakas, Yasmani Grandal and Josh Hader. It’s the second appearance for Hader, who came under fire when racist and homophobic tweets resurfaced on his account during last year’s game. Hader apologized for the tweets, which he sent as a teenager.

Braves teammates Ronald Acuna Jr. and Mike Soroka are set to be this year’s youngest players at 21. Atlanta said it’s the first time two players under 22 from the same team made the All-Star team.

The NL team includes just three hitters in their 30s: Moustakas and Grandal are 30, and Charlie Blackmon will turn 33 today. Depending on who serves as DH, the NL could have the youngest starting lineup in All-Star Game history.

The host Indians had three players selected: Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor and Brad Hand. Santana, a 33-year-old first-time All-Star, will also swing in the Home Run Derby.

Six of the eight derby participants are known — Acuna, Santana, Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich, the New York Mets’ Pete Alonso and Pittsburgh’s Josh Bell. Guerrero will be 20 years, 114 days old for the July 8 showcase, making him the youngest ever in the derby — 116 days younger than Ken Griffey Jr. in 1990.

The full field will be announced Wednesday.

The starting position players were elected by fans and announced Thursday. The rest of the rosters were filled out by player balloting and the Commissioner’s Office.