Mostly Positive Showing by Dodgers All-Stars

LA should hope that Yasiel Puig's showing is not foreboding to the end of the season

The Dodgers quartet of Clayton Kershaw, Dee Gordon, Zack Greinke and Yasiel Puig all played in the 5-3 win by the American League in the All-Star Game Tuesday night in Minneapolis, but not all of them showed up. 

Kershaw was in the running to start the game but NL manager Mike Matheny instead went with his guy Adam Wainwright. How you felt about the decision depends on whether you bleed Cardinal red or Dodger blue. But, Wainwright balled out the first half of the season, so it wasn’t exactly a Charlie Sheen-like situation.

Matheny might be reconsidering the pick after witnessing Wainwright’s one inning of work. It went like this: double, triple, strikeout, home run, strikeout, ground out -- 3-0 deficit. He didn't help himself by telling reporters he served one up to Derek Jeter:  

It was Kershaw's turn in the second inning. His appearance went like this: foul out, strikeout, ground out.

So, basically, the lefty made it clear that in next year's game, he's taking the mound first.

Even AL manager John Farrell was impressed.

"I think anytime you can see Clayton Kershaw pitch it's certainly a treat," he said during the FOX telecast.

One of the good moves by Matheny came in the fourth when he sent Dee Gordon in to pinch run for Chase Utley.

Jonathan Lucroy hit a double off the right field wall that bounced cleanly to Jose Bautista but it's not like it mattered. Flash scored and there wasn't really a legitimate play on him at the plate.

Gordon followed that up in the sixth with a nice defensive play robbing Michael Brantley of a hit. It's a play that only two or three other second basemen make, and they've been retired for 10 years.

Zack Greinke was so efficient that you almost forgot he pitched. He only needed 12 tosses to get a ground out and two strikeouts. It was so quick that Greinke might have even landed at LAX before the game ended.

When it comes to Puig I'm kind of glad he doesn't have a full grasp of the English language yet, so he doesn't have to answer the question: "Where is Yasiel Puig and what did you do with him?"

He had a horrble two days.

After his power outage in Monday's Home Run Derby you thought the Cuban Comet would come out and do some damage. But, he struck out three times and looked completely out of his depth at the plate.

The good news for Puig is that if he stays healthy he'll have many more chances to erase the memories of this one. And, he did get a picture with Jeter.

Puig should be cut a little slack considering in all the previous all-star games he played in before coming to the states, Puig played with half his focus on the field and the other half trying to escape a Socialist regime.

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