All-Star Notebook | Young, Okajima win Internet vote

SAN DIEGO — What a day it was for Chris Young, who began a five-game suspension for his part in a brawl, then found out about three hours later that he was an All-Star.

The San Diego Padres right-hander beat out four other pitchers for the last spot on the NL All-Star team on Thursday in the online Final Vote, which started Sunday night. The 6-foot-10 Young will join teammates Jake Peavy and Trevor Hoffman at Tuesday's game in San Francisco.

Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima won the AL's Internet vote, giving Boston a leading six players in the game.

The Padres organization, including Hoffman and Peavy, heavily promoted the online voting that made Young an All-Star for the first time.

"Obviously I don't want to be serving a suspension," Young said. "I don't want to take away from my team. But all in all, I think it's a good day, for the most part."

Young had been appealing his suspension for his part in a bench-clearing brawl at Chicago on June 16, which started when Young hit the Cubs' Derrek Lee with a pitch.

Young — who received more than 4.5 million votes in beating out Chicago's Carlos Zambrano, Arizona's Brandon Webb, Pittsburgh's Tom Gorzelanny and Houston's Roy Oswalt — will sit out the last four games before the break and the first game after it.

Okajima received 4.3 million votes in four days to beat Detroit starter Jeremy Bonderman, Minnesota reliever Pat Neshek, Los Angeles Angels starter Kelvim Escobar and Toronto starter Roy Halladay.

Red Sox pitchers Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon were already named to the AL roster, along with third baseman Mike Lowell and sluggers Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.

It's the first time that the Red Sox have ever had more than two pitchers at the All-Star game.

Okajima is the third Red Sox player to win the Internet voting, joining Johnny Damon (2002) and Jason Varitek ('03).

Oswalt replacing Smoltz

Oswalt will replace injured Braves pitcher John Smoltz on the National League roster.

Because Smoltz was one of five NL starting pitchers elected through the player ballot, his replacement was the pitcher with the sixth-highest number of votes. Oswalt (7-5, 3.52 ERA) will be making his third All-Star appearance.

The 40-year-old Smoltz, who has lost three of five starts since tweaking his shoulder May 29, will use the All-Star break to get treatment and rest.

Braves manager Bobby Cox said he doesn't plan to put Smoltz on the disabled list.

"I think he's going to be fine," Cox said.