If the Dodgers have World Series aspirations this season, then it would behoove the National League to snap its three-year All-Star Game losing streak on Tuesday night at Petco Park in San Diego.
Three players represent the Dodgers in the midsummer classic, but a herniated disc has sidelined one of them, making this the first All-Star Game without an inning from Clayton Kershaw since 2010. But with shortstop Corey Seager and relief pitcher Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers will be well accounted for.
In addition, Dodgers massage therapist Yosuke Nakajima, in is 14th season with the team, is a part of the National League training staff.
Home field advantage for the World Series is at stake on Tuesday night at Petco Park, but even though the game is in a National League stadium the American League is technically the home team in the All-Star Game, a byproduct of this being the second of four straight years with the misdsummer classic in an NL venue.
Seager isn't starting - the fans voted for Addison Russell of the Cubs to start at shortstop - and Jansen doesn't figure to get used until late in the game, so if there was any baseball game for Dodgers fans to live up to their late-arriving cliche, this is it.
But there is still the pomp and circumstance of the pregame introductions, always a personal favorite, even if Padres fans will boo their division rivals.
The National League still leads the all-time series 43-41-2, though the American League has won each of the last three All-Star Games, including a 6-3 victory in 2015 in Cincinnati.
The last Dodger to reach base in an All-Star Game - not counting Dee Gordon scoring as a pinch runner in 2014 - was Andre Ethier, who had an RBI single in the fifth inning at Chase Field in 2011. Dodgers batters since then are 0-for-8 with six strikeouts.
The club hasn't had a player with an extra-base hit in an All-Star Game since Mike Piazza homered and double en route to game MVP honors in 1996 in Philadelphia.
Johnny Cueto of the Giants will start on the mound for the National League on Tuesday night, with White Sox ace Chris Sale on the mound for the AL.
Dodgers vs. AL
Among the active pitchers on the American League team, Orioles relief pitcher Brad Brach is the only one to have faced Seager, who struck out and walked in his only two plate appearances against the right-hander, both last week in Los Angeles.
Jansen has faced 12 different active AL position players, and they are a combined 3-for-40 (.075) against him with two walks and 21 strikeouts.
Mike Trout is 1-for-7 with a home run (hit in 2015), a walk and five strikeouts against Jansen. Mark Trumbo is 1-for-7 with a home run (in 2014) and four strikeouts. Carlos Beltran is 1-for-7 with an RBI and a strikeout, with the lone hit a walk-off single for St. Louis in Game 1 of the 2013 NLCS.
Ian Desmond is 0-for-6 with five strikeouts. Edwin Encarnacion is 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Matt Wieters is 0-for-3 with a strikeout. Robinson Cano, Salvador Perez and Stephen Vogt are all 0-for-1 with a strikeout. Miguel Cabrera is 0-for-1 with a walk and a strikeout. Jose Altuve and Manny Machado are both 0-for-1.
Game info
Time: 5 p.m. PT
TV: Fox