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Volquez to make last All-Star case against Nationals

Jul 6, 2008 - 12:55 PM Washington (34-55) at Cincinnati (42-47) 1:15 p.m. EDT

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- With the All-Star rosters set to be announced, Edinson Volquez will take the mound looking to state his case as the National League starter at the Midsummer Classic.

Volquez will take the mound Sunday when the Cincinnati Reds go for a sweep against the visiting Washington Nationals in the finale of a four-game series.

The 25-year-old righthander has adjusted well in his first season in the National League, pacing the senior circuit in ERA while ranking second with a .210 batting average against and 113 strikeouts.

Volquez (10-3, 2.24 ERA) leads a pack of worthy competitors for the NL starting spot, including San Francisco's Tim Lincecum, Arizona's Dan Haren and Brandon Webb and Milwaukee's Ben Sheets. The rosters will be announced Sunday afternoon.

The Reds' ace began the season 8-2 with a 1.32 ERA through 13 games - 12 starts - and not allowing more than two earned runs in any appearance. But has not been as dominant since, posting a 4.55 ERA in his last five outings.

Cincinnati scraped out 5-3 and 3-0 victories in the first two games of the series and turned up the drama on Saturday, as Brandon Phillips plated the winning run with a single in the bottom of the ninth to claim a 3-2 win.

The Nationals will send rookie righthander Collin Balester (1-0, 1.80) to the mound for his second major league start. The 22-year-old got off to an impressive start Tuesday, limiting the Florida Marlins to one run and one hit while walking three and striking out three over five innings.