The American League will be gunning for a fifth straight victory over its National League counterpart when it takes the field on Tuesday in the 2017 MLB All-Star Game as narrow -105 betting underdogs at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The Junior Circuit has dominated at the Midsummer Classic over the past three decades, claiming victory in 22 of the past 29 games including a 4-2 win as a -105 underdog at last year’s event. They are 4-3 in their past seven clashes with the National League going into Tuesday night’s matchup at Marlins Park in Miami.
Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale will make his sixth career all-star game appearance on Tuesday, and takes the mound as the AL starter for a second straight year. The 28-year-old left-hander has enjoyed a standout debut season in Boston, picking up the win in 10 of his past 13 starts to improve his record to 11-4 on the season. Sale, though, surrendered two home runs and four earned runs in his last outing, a 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay on July 6.
However, the American League has effectively shut down the National League in four straight MLB All-Star Game victories, outscoring the Senior Circuit by an 18-8 overall margin. The AL has also enjoyed regular success in games held at NL ballparks, going 8-1-1 over the past 10, and holding the NL to three or fewer runs on six occasions.
Washington Nationals ace pitcher Max Scherzer joins an exclusive club when he leads the National League into action on Tuesday as -115 chalk on the MLB All-Star Game odds.
As a member of the Detroit Tigers, the five-time all-star needed just 12 pitches to shut down the NL in one inning of work as the AL starter at the 2013 Midsummer Classic, and becomes the first pitcher to record All-Star Game starts for both leagues since Roy Halladay took the mound for the NL in 2011.
While Scherzer trails the major league leaders with just 10 wins to date this season, he owns a league-low 2.10 ERA. Scherzer also leads the National League with 173 strikeouts and has whiffed 10 or more batters in eight of his past nine starts. That includes a 10-strikeout performance in his last outing, a 5-4 win over Atlanta as a -260 favourite on July 7.
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