AL tabs Orioles ace Burnes to start All-Star Game

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Baltimore Orioles‘ Corbin Burnes will start for the American League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game against Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes.

A 29-year-old right-hander, Burnes is 9-4 with a 2.93 ERA in his first season with the Orioles, who acquired him from the Milwaukee Brewers just before spring training. The 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner, Burnes is an All-Star for the fourth straight season. He will become the fifth Orioles pitcher to start an All-Star Game, the first since Steve Stone in 1980.

Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez made the phone call Monday letting Burnes know that AL manager Bruce Bochy of the World Series champion Texas Rangers picked him to start the midsummer showcase at Globe Life Field.

“Oh, that’s awesome,” Burnes responded.

“I hope you can do what I did 25 years ago,” Martinez said, referring to the 1999 All-Star Game in Boston where he was named the MVP after striking out the NL’s first four batters.

“I’ll do my best,” Burnes said. “That’s a lot to keep up with.”

Skenes, who made his major league debut on May 11, is 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA in 11 starts, striking out 89 and walking 13 in 66⅓ innings. The 11 starts for the 21-year-old right-hander will be the fewest for an All-Star and he will become the fifth rookie starter after Dave Stenhouse (1962), Mark Fidrych (1976), Fernando Valenzuela (1981) and Hideo Nomo (1995).

NL manager Torey Lovullo announced last week he was starting Skenes.

Bochy said Monday he has Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians hitting leadoff and playing left field, followed by Baltimore shortstop Gunnar Henderson, New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto and center fielder Aaron Judge, Houston Astros designed hitter Yordan Alvarez, Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman and Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien.

Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats first and plays second base for the NL, followed by Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper, Milwaukee catcher William Contreras, Brewers right fielder Christian Yelich, Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, Dodgers center fielder Teoscar Hernandez and San Diego Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar.

The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.