a 10-3 advantage since the All-Star Game has determined home-field advantage in the World Series.Its vitally important, said Yost, whose Royals swept the first two games

SAN DIEGO -- Chris Sale can admit it now: He was a little too in love with the strikeout.He led the American League last year with 274. But all those long counts cost him.I wanted to pitch more innings, get deeper into the games, the Chicago White Sox ace said Monday after he was announced to open the All-Star Game for the American League.As a starting pitcher, thats really the name of the game, is getting as deep into the game while giving your team a chance to win at the same time, he said.San Franciscos Johnny Cueto will start for the National League on Tuesday as the All-Stars return to San Diego for the first time since 1992.A 27-year-old left-hander, Sale is 14-3 with a 3.38 ERA and leads the major leagues in wins. He has 123 strikeouts -- third in the AL -- and just 26 walks in 125 innings. Batters are hitting .225 against him.In the past, he was a little bit more of a power pitcher, the Chicago Cubs Ben Zobrist said. If hes hitting spots a little bit more, that might change our ability to drive the ball.Cueto, a 30-year-old right-hander who left Kansas City to sign with the Giants last offseason, tops NL pitchers in victories. He is 13-1 with a 2.47 ERA, striking out 115 in 131 1/3 innings. He has won 10 consecutive decisions since an April 21 loss to Arizona.His path to the starting nod became clearer when Clayton Kershaw and Noah Syndergaard got hurt, Stephen Strasburg pulled out of the game because of a recent disabled list stint and Madison Bumgarner was ruled out because he started Sunday.I was just happy to be participating in the game, Cueto said through a translator. But Im very happy.Cueto impressed New York Mets manager Terry Collins with a two-hitter for Kansas City in Game 2 of last years World Series, the first complete game by an AL pitcher in the Series since Jack Morris in 1991.That was the best outing Ive ever seen him have, Collins said.Jake Arrieta of the Cubs was on track to get the honor, going 11-1 with a 1.74 ERA through mid-June. But he lost three of his last four starts heading into the break.The last three outings, I havent pitched very well, he said. If I had took care of business, I probably would have been the starter or considered a little more highly.AL manager Ned Yosts batting order has Houston second baseman Jose Altuve leading off, followed by Angels center fielder Mike Trout, Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado, Boston designated hitter David Ortiz, Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts, Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez and Boston left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr.Collins has Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist leading off, followed by Washington right fielder Bryce Harper, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, San Diegos Wil Myers at designated hitter, San Francisco catcher Buster Posey, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Miami center fielder Marcell Ozuna, Colorado left fielder Carlos Gonzalez and Cubs shortstop Addison Russell.Ozuna and Gonzalez are replacements for the Cubs Dexter Fowler and the Mets Yoenis Cespedes, who are hurt.Yost said Corey Kluber, Cole Hamels, Aaron Sanchez and Jose Quintana will follow Sale to the mound.The AL will be the home team for the game at Petco Park because this is the second straight year of at least four in which the NL will host the All-Stars. The AL has a 10-3 advantage since the All-Star Game has determined home-field advantage in the World Series.Its vitally important, said Yost, whose Royals swept the first two games at Kauffman Stadium last year. Weve got a room full of tremendously talented players and if we win this game its going to affect somebody or somebodies in that room. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. Rickey Henderson Jersey . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. http://www.cheappadresjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-christian-villanueva-jersey . Listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 at 7pm et. The Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes. Allen Craig Jersey .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward James Neal on injured reserve Tuesday. Jose Pirela Jersey . The phone hearing is scheduled for 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt. Winchester, who was not penalized for the hit, appeared to make contact with Kellys head early in the first period of Thursdays game in Boston.LONDON -- Manchester United submitted a bid for Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas on Monday, a person with knowledge of the situation said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the bid, which was submitted by United executives from Sydney where the team is currently on its pre-season tour. Despite Barcelona offering no public indication that Fabregas is for sale, United has offered 30 million euros ($39 million) to bring the former Arsenal captain back to the Premier League, as David Moyes looks to make his first major signing as manager of the English champions. The transfer bid comes two years after Fabregas left Arsenal after pushing to rejoin boyhood club Barcelona for 29 million euros. There are three years remaining on hhis Camp Nou deal, and Arsenal is reported to have first refusal if Barcelona chooses to sell Fabregas.dddddddddddd At Old Trafford, the Spain midfielder would be re-united with striker Robin van Persie, who joined from Arsenal a year ago. The 26-year-old Fabregas would help to fill the void left by the retirement of Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher, who is continuing to recover from a bowel condition. Last month, Fabregas expressed a desire to stay at Barcelona despite struggling to establish himself as a regular in the starting line-up for the Spanish champions. "If Barcelona said that they didnt want me, that would be another thing -- but what I truly want is to triumph at Barcelona," he told Spanish radio. "Thats been my dream since I was a kid." ' ' '