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Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig lost out to Freddie Freeman of the Braves in the Final Vote for the 34th and final roster spot on the National League All-Star team. Puig finished second to Freeman, just as he had been in each of the four morning voting updates provided by MLB from Monday through Thursday morning.
Freeman set a record with 19.7 million votes received. Puig was second and though the vote totals weren't fully released, Puig did receive more than 15.6 million, which was the previous record set by Shane Victorino in 2009.
Adrian Gonzalez finished fifth in the voting, behind Hunter Pence of the Giants and Ian Desmond of the Nationals. Voting ran from Saturday evening through 1 p.m. PT Thursday.
The 2013 MLB All-Star Game will be held at Citi Field in New York on Tuesday, July 16.
Puig is hitting .394/.428/.634 with eight home runs in 35 games. The 22-year-old has played in every game since his June 3 call up and has more games with three or more hits (eight) than he does with no hits (five). He has 17 multi-hit games in 34 starts and Wednesday night marked the first time in his career that he ended a game with a batting average below .400.
Had Puig made the team he would have been the sixth Dodgers rookie ever to make the All-Star team, joining Don Newcombe (1949), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), Steve Sax (1982), Mike Piazza (1993) and Hideo Nomo.
There is still a chance for Puig to make the NL squad, as an injury replacement
Gonzalez is a four-time All-Star, playing in the midsummer classic with San Diego from 2008-2010 and with Boston in 2011. Gonzalez is hitting .300/.353/.489 with 14 home runs and 58 RBI, on pace for 108 runs batted in this season. Since moving to Los Angeles in 1958, the Dodgers have had only three first baseman drive in 100 runs in a season: Wes Parker (1970), Steve Garvey (1974, 1978-1980) and Eric Karros (1995-1997, 1999-2000).
This is the fourth year a Dodger has made it to the final vote, and the first time the team placed two nominees, since this roster wrinkle was added in 2002. First baseman Nomar Garciaparra won the final vote in 2006, Matt Kemp lost to Shane Victorino in 2009, and Andre Ethier lost to Victorino in 2011. Ethier in 2011 eventually was named to the All-Star team anyway, as an injury replacement for Victorino.