Baseball notes: Cubs match 1963 Cards’ All-Star milestone – STLtoday.com

After topping the major leagues during the first half of the season as they seek their first Worold Series title in more than a century, the Chicago Cubs dominated the rosters for next week’s All-Star Game. In the process, they equaled a distinction achieved by the 1963 Cardinals.

The Cubs’ entire infield was voted to start the contest, on Tuesday in San Diego — first baseman Anthony Rizzo, second baseman Ben Zobrist, shortstop Addison Russell and third baseman Kris Bryant.

The only other team that had the full starting infield for its league was the ’63 Cards — first baseman Bill White, second baseman Julian Javier, third baseman Ken Boyer and shortstop Dick Groat. Javier started when Pittsburgh’s Bill Mazeroski was injured.

Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler also was voted to start next week in balloting announced Tuesday. (He currently is sidelined by an injury but hopes to be back by then). That makes Chicago the first team since the 1976 Cincinnati “Big Red Machine” to have five players voted as All-Star starters.

Those Reds starters were catcher Johnny Bench, second baseman Joe Morgan, shortstop Dave Concepcion, third baseman Pete Rose and outfielder George Foster.

The 1985 Padres also had five starters, but that includes an injury replacement and the pitcher.

Seven Cubs in all were picked overall, with starting pitchers Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester rounding out the list.

Rizzo led National League players with 3.2 million votes, and Zobrist won the closest race by finishing 88 votes ahead of Washington’s Daniel Murphy.

In a sign of the sport’s generational change, 12 of the 17 elected starters are age 26 or younger.

Boston has six All-Stars, including four starters. Designated hitter David Ortiz, who is retiring at the end of the season, became a 10-time All-Star and is joined by a trio of first-timers: shortstop Xander Bogaerts and outfielders Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts. Knuckleballer Steven Wright and closer Craig Kimbrel were selected for the pitching staff.

San Francisco catcher Buster Posey was elected along with New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and Washington outfielder Bryce Harper.

In the American League, Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez and first baseman Eric Hosmer were voted to the starting lineup along with Houston second baseman Jose Altuve, Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado and Los Angeles outfielder Mike Trout. Perez led all players with nearly 4.97 million votes.

Pirates’ Kang investigated • Chicago police announced that they are investigating an allegation of sexual assault against Pittsburgh infielder Jung Ho Kang.

In a statement, police said a 23-year-old female reported being assaulted by Kang inside a hotel.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the Chicago woman met Kang through a dating app. Kang invited the woman to his hotel room on June 17, after the Pirates played the Cubs, he said. The woman said she blacked out, then drifted in and out of consciousness as he sexually assaulted her. The woman’s name has not been released. Kang, 29, has not been charged.

He was not in the lineup Tuesday night against the Cardinals but had a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning of his team’s 5-2 victory. Pirates team president Frank Coonelly said in a statement the team was taking the allegation “extremely seriously” and was cooperating with Major League Baseball.

Coonelly declined further comment.

Kang, who is from South Korea, was batting .250 with 11 homers and 28 RBIs and is in the second year of a four-year contract.

Royals’ closer goes on DL • Kansas City put closer Wade Davis on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained right (pitching) forearm. Kelvin Herrera is expected to fill the closer role.

Davis is 1-0 with a 1.23 ERA and 19 saves in 30 games. He is the third Royals All-Star from 2015 on the disabled list, joining third baseman Mike Moustakas (knee) and outfielder Lorenzo Cain (hamstring).

Kansas City called up pitcher Brooks Pounders from Triple-A Omaha to fill the roster spot. Pounders was 4-1 with a 2.80 ERA in 19 games at Omaha.

Also, Manager Ned Yost said starting pitcher Yordano Ventura, who left Sunday after suffering a sprained ankle, will throw a side session Wednesday. Ventura remains on track to start Friday against Seattle.

Elsewhere • Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson will have shoulder surgery, probably next week, to address fraying of the labrum and rotator cuff. He hasn’t pitched in a game since having surgery in August to remove bone spurs from his left elbow. He has a career record of 94-70, including 51-35 with Los Angeles.

• Angels center fielder Trout was rested, though he pinch-ran, ending his stretch of starting 145 consecutive games.

• Braves ace Julio Teheran was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday because of a thigh infection.

• Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo (stiff back) left in the fifth inning and first baseman Mitch Moreland (sore calf) did not start for the third straight game.

• White Sox catcher Alex Avila left in the sixth inning because of a strained hamstring and is headed to the disabled list.

• The Tigers put pitcher Daniel Norris (abdominal strain) on the 15-day disabled list. He is 1-0 with a 4.85 ERA. Pitcher Buck Farmer was promoted from Triple-A Toledo to take Norris’ roster spot. He has a 2.70 ERA in nine relief appearances.

• Marlins first baseman Justin Bour remains out indefinitely because of a sprained ankle.