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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Having a franchise-record and MLB-high eight All-Stars is a reflection of what the Philadelphia Phillies have done so far this season, not what they expect to be when it is all done. Especially after . Our goal as a group is very straightforward, and that's to win the World Series, reliever Jeff Hoffman said Monday before the All-Star Game workout. Obviously this is a nice accolade on the way there, but our goals are more lofty than this. These Phillies have a 62-34 record that is the best in baseball, and their most wins ever at the All-Star break. They have an 8 1/2-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. We definitely had a pretty dang good first half, first baseman Bryce Harper said. I think when you have a good team, you have depth. Just a lot of fun as a group, from the top down." Harper, shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm were all voted by fans as All-Star starters. The Phillies then became the first team to have five All-Star pitchers, with three from their starting rotation that leads the majors with a 3.22 ERA. "I dont think we think we deserve anything. I think its just more so, its a pretty hungry group, Bohm said. I think weve gotten close enough two times to where theres some hunger there for sure. Philadelphia in 2022 made its first World Series since 2009, and . The Phillies didn't make it back Ty Jerome Jersey last October, even after winning the first two games of the NL Championship Series and then returning home for and postseason standout Aaron Nola on the mound. They instead lost twice at home to the Arizona Diamondbacks. No one's going to talk about the eight Phillies that made the All-Star Game unle s we win the World Series, reliever Matt Strahm said. It'll be remembered when they won the World Series and had eight All-Stars, so it's we all have one goal in mind, and this is just a stop along the way. Strahm wasn't with the Phillies during their World Series run two years ago, but was signed with them as a free agent right after that. Last year being with the team, you could feel feel it from the guys that came up short the year before, and I mean just feed off it," he said. Day one spring (this year), it didnt even feel like we said hi. Like we were just let's go, and we all knew. ... It's just an open wound until we fix it. Neither Zack Wheeler or Ranger Surez will pitch in Tuesday night's game, though both have 10-4 records. (7-4, 2.96 ERA) is a first-time All-Star pick, as are relievers Hoffman and Strahm. and is using the break to recover from nagging back i sues, while Surez is being held out as a precaution after experiencing tightne s and spasms in his lower back after his start Friday night. That leaves the Phillies with six players available to take part in the All-Star Game at the home of the Texas Rangers, who last year had six players in the Midsummer Cla sic then went on to win its first World Series title in five games over Arizona. We're just as good as anybody. Weve got that that grind and hard work with us, you know, from our fans and our city, Turner said. But we also know that were really, really good, and we can compete with anybody on the biggest stage, so were confident and were hungry. __ Jason Kidd Jersey
