Cruz continues to lead in All-Star balloting

Nelson Cruz continues to stretch his lead in balloting to determine the American League’s starting designated hitter in the All-Star Game on July 11 in Miami.

The latest balloting release Tuesday from Major League Baseball shows Cruz with a lead of 191,626 votes over Matt Holliday of the New York Yankees. That’s an increase of 17,995 over last week.

Cruz is seeking to become an All-Star for the fifth time in his career. He was selected as a starter in 2014 and 2015 and served as a reserve in 2009 and 2013.

Balloting continues through 8:59 p.m. on June 29. All balloting is conducted online at www.MLB.com and the 30 club websites, including www.mariners.com. Voting updates are released each week.

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