Yovani Gallardo is firm. Even if he's fortunate enough to make the All-Star team again next summer, he'll skip it."If the game is in Arizona

ANAHEIM, Calif. Yovani Gallardo is firm. Even if he’s fortunate enough to make the All-Star team again next summer, he’ll skip it.”If the game is in Arizona, I will totally boycott,” the Milwaukee Brewers pitcher said Monday.A year before Phoenix is set to host baseball’s big event, the state’s new immigration law kept drawing the attention of major leaguers.Kansas City reliever Joakim Soria, who leads the majors with 25 saves, said he would support a Latino protest and stay away. Detroit closer Jose Valverde can see himself steering clear, too.”It’s a really delicate issue,” said Toronto outfielder Jose Bautista, who leads the majors with 24 home runs. “Hopefully, there are some changes in the law before then. We have to back up our Latin communities.”

“If I do get chosen, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he said.About three dozen protesters held signs Monday one block from the hotel where Major League Baseball held its welcoming news conferences. The demonstrators said they had over 100,000 petitions asking commissioner Bud Selig to move the 2011 All-Star game out of Arizona.Another protest was planned outside Angel Stadium before Tuesday night’s game.

Selig has not spoken directly on the subject. Asked in May about calls to shift next year’s game, he gave a defense of baseball’s minority hiring record. Selig did not take questions at Monday’s All-Star introductory event.Arizona’s much-debated measure takes effect July 29. The statute requires police, while enforcing other laws, to ask about a person’s immigration status if there is reasonable suspicion that the person is in the country illegally.”They could stop me and ask to see my papers,” Soria said. “I have to stand with my Latin community on this.”

The Mexican-born Gallardo said he’s talked with Soria and San Diego’s All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez about the Arizona law.”We don’t agree with it,” Gallardo said. St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols said he opposed the law and Valverde called it “dumb.”

Several All-Stars avoided the topic.”That’s a political thing,” New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano said. “I don’t have anything to say about it. They already made a decision. If I say anything it’s not going to make any difference.””Wrong guy,” teammate Alex Rodriguez said, pointing to other players in the interview room.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal said he would wait for guidance from the players’ union.”The game is going on at this point, regardless,” said former All-Star Tony Clark, who played for Arizona last season and now works for the union. “Whatever decision an individual player makes, they would have the full support of the union.”The union has already condemned the law and said that if it is not repealed or modified additional steps would be considered.

Oakland closer Andrew Bailey, whose team holds spring training in Phoenix, said his sport was caught in a crossfire.”The Arizona Diamondbacks and Major League Baseball had nothing to do with making the Arizona immigration laws,” he said. “I know there are discrepancies. Hopefully, things can get resolved.”(AP) —

The Diamondbacks dropped a 6-1 decision to the Brewers in front 25,358 at Chase Field

Ian Kennedy’s aggressiveness on the mound, with the ability to throw four pitches effectively, earns him high marks with manager A.J. Hinch.Kennedy, called upon to restore a bit of order after an embarrassing loss the night before, did not get the reward he pitched well enough to earn Sunday. The Diamondbacks dropped a 6-1 decision to the Brewers in front 25,358 at Chase Field.

Kennedy (2-2) threw seven innings, allowing six hits, two earned runs and struck out five. He worked out of a tight spot, as well, to keep the Diamondbacks in the game.A three-run home run in the eighth inning by Casey McGehee off reliever Esmerling Vasquez – followed by a solo blast from Gregg Zaun – put the game away for the Brewers.

The game took a key wrong turn for the Diamondbacks in the bottom of the seventh when they were trailing 2-1.Chris Young led off with a single, and Stephen Drew doubled him to third – but he was caught in no-man’s land as Young broke for home, and he was out in a rundown while Young went back to third.

Catcher Chris Snyder then drew a walk. Rusty Ryal pinch-hit for Kennedy, popping out to first, leaving it to Kelly Johnson, facing new Brewers pitcher Mitch Stetter, who was called up Saturday from the minors. He ended the threat by getting Johnson to fly to center.

The Diamondbacks had managed only two infield hits off Narveson through five innings, and they had a chance to do some damage in the bottom of the sixth. Without the benefit of a hit, the Diamondbacks had runners on first and third with two out, and Adam LaRoche delivered a single to right field to cut the Brewers’ lead to a run.At that point, Narveson was lifted in favor of reliever Todd Coffey, who got Mark Reynolds to fly out to center. Narveson struck out eight in his 5 2/3 innings of work, allowing three hits and walking two.

Kennedy worked out of a big jam in the top of the inning.He allowed a leadoff single to Craig Counsell, who advanced to third on a hit-and-run play with Ryan Braun. After Prince Fielder, struck out swinging, McGehee was walked intentionally to load the bases for catcher Gregg Zaun, who worked the count to 3-0. He swung at the next pitch and popped out to Snyder.

Jody Gerut, who hit for the cycle in the Brewers’ 17-3 win Saturday night, grounded out to first baseman Adam LaRoche to end the inning.

Narveson also was a pest at the plate. After a two-out triple off the center field wall by Corey Hart, he drilled a sharp single to right, giving the Brewers a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning as he collected his first RBI of the season.Fielder led off the second with his fourth home run of the season to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead.