"The Dodgers, with the best record in baseball, were appropriately represented Sunday when pitchers Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Broxton and second baseman Orlando Hudson were named to the National League team for the July 14 All-Star Game, to be played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

And those three -- selected in balloting of players, managers and coaches -- could be joined by outfielder Matt Kemp, one of five finalists in the All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote. "It's pretty good for a manager to talk to four guys," said Joe Torre, who already had been selected to coach in the game and who informed each player before Sunday's game. "I told Matt, 'Even if you're not the one the fans vote for, just to be in that group is an honor.' I went to Broxton and asked him, 'If you make the All-Star team, will your wife be able to go?' He said yes and I said, 'Congratulations. You made it.' And O-Dog, it's got to help his spirits. He's down now." The 80th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 5 p.m. PT. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage. XM will provide satellite radio play-by-play coverage of the XM All-Star Futures Game. With an injury to Hiroki Kuroda after his Opening Day win, Billingsley assumed the role of Dodgers staff ace and handled it smoothly. He won his first five decisions and entered his Sunday start against the Padres at 9-4 with a 3.12 ERA. The 24-year-old ranks among league leaders in wins, ERA, innings pitched, strikeouts and lowest opponents batting average, as he did last season. While his national reputation might have the stigma of last year's postseason, Billingsley was the Dodgers' big winner last year with 16 regular-season victories, going 7-1 over his last 12 regular-season starts. He beat the Cubs in the first round of the playoffs before getting roughed up in two losses to the eventual World Series champion Phillies. Broxton has compiled a 6-0 record, 2.09 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings. He is averaging 14.90 strikeouts per nine innings. He also leads the league in lowest opposing batting average for a reliever (.121) and has allowed a hit to only one of 32 first batters faced."