PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Pittsburgh’s Felipe Vázquez has been named to the National League All-Star team for this year’s All-Star Game in Cleveland. This is the second straight season the 28-year-old Vázquez has been selected to participate in the All-Star Game. Vázquez entered Saturday tied for fifth among all National League pitchers with 19 saves. Since the beginning of the 2017 campaign, he has recorded a total of 77 saves; the third-most among all National League pitchers in that time behind Kenley Jansen (102) and Wade Davis (87). Vázquez converted each of his first 14 save opportunities of the 2019 campaign before being charged with his only blown save on June 1. Since the beginning of the 2018 campaign, Vázquez has also recorded 148 strikeouts, which are the third-most by any left-handed reliever in Major League Baseball behind Josh Hader (222) and Brad Hand (161). Vázquez ranks sixth all-time in Pirates history with 77 career saves, trailing only Kent Tekulve (158), Mike Williams (140), Dave Giusti (133), Mark Melancon (130) and Joel Hanrahan (82). He has converted 47 of his last 50 save chances dating back to May 30 of last season. Among all Major League closers in that time with at least 30 save chances, only Toronto’s Ken Giles (30-for-31, 96.8 pct.) and San Diego’s Kirby Yates (40-of-42, 95.2 pct.) have posted a better save percentage than Vázquez (94.0 pct.). This is now the seventh time in the last nine seasons the Pirates will send multiple representatives to the All-Star Game.