Troy Tulowitzki selected for All-Star Game; DJ LeMahieu willstart

Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (2) blows a bubble as he walks back to the dugout afterthe second inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on July 8, 2015 at Coors Field. (JohnLeyba, The Denver Post)

Troy Tulowitzki doesn't cop much to self-promotion. But he knows the weight of a moment when it'son his shoulders.

The Rockies shortstop earlier in the week said he wouldn't campaign in a fan vote-off for the finalspot on the National League's All-Star Game roster.

On Saturday, he got in anyway. San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who will skipper the NLteam Tuesday in Cincinnati, chose Tulowitzki to fill an vacant spot on the roster.

"An All-Star Game is an All-Star Game," Tulowitzki said. "It's an honor. I definitely don't take itlightly."

Tulowitzki will make his fifth all-star appearance -- tying Todd Helton's Rockies record. Tulowitzkijoins fellow Colorado infielders Nolan Arenado (third base) and D.J. LeMahieu (second), both first-time all-stars.

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It will be the first time the Rockies send three players to an All-Star Game. Bochy also needed a newstarting second baseman. He chose LeMahieu -- who will be the Rockies' first starting all-star secondbaseman.

"It really speaks volume about our infield," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "Gold Glovers allaround. It's pretty special."

Miami Marlins' second baseman Dee Gordon, the fan's choice to start at second base, dislocated histhumb sliding into a base Saturday. And St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday remains outwith a strained quad muscle.

So Bochy called on the best remaining position player available. Tulowitzki, coming off a hip surgerythat scuttled his 2014 season in August, started slowly this year. He hit just .262 in May.

But in June. Tulowitzki caught on. He hit a big-league best .381 that month, with 21 RBIs, more thandoubling his RBI total for the year.

"I was playing catch-up a little bit," Tulowitzki said. "I was hard on myself. Sometimes I need to sitback and realized I'm still a decent player in this game."

Tulowitzki on Saturday snapped a career-high 21-game hitting streak after going 0-for-4 with threestrikeouts. But he walked in the ninth to load the bases and reach base safely in a 37th consecutivegame.

The musical chairs also meant the NL needed a new starting second baseman. Bochy pickedLeMahieu, who got in on the player's ballot, to fill that role. He's Colorado's first all-star secondbaseman since Eric Young in 1996

"I'm just excited to be in the game, really," LeMahieu said. "Having all three of us is going to be a lotof fun."

Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nickgroke

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