Five Orioles headed to All-Star Game react to their selections

LOS ANGELES - For the first time since the 2013 season, the Orioles have five players headed to the All-Star Game. Manny Machado will start at third base for the American League team next Tuesday in San Diego. He is joined on the AL roster by four teammates: pitchers Zach Britton and Brad Brach, outfielder Mark Trumbo and catcher Matt Wieters.

The Orioles have had 20 players selected since 2012. They got three that year, five in 2013, three in 2014 and four last year.

Here is some reaction from the players that made it:

Manny Machado: "Very humbling. It's awesome that the fans went out and voted for me. I appreciate everyone who went out there and voted for me for first (place) for All-Star. I'm humbled to be selected for the third time. I just want to thank the fans, everyone who voted for me and my teammates, who helped me do what I've been doing for the first half.

"It's awesome. When the fans actually go out there and put a lot of votes out for you, it's humbling. I'm so excited for right now, to go to San Diego and start my first All-Star Game. This is by far my best All-Star gift, the best birthday gift I can get (he turns 24 tomorrow). I'm just excited and very humbled at the same time.

"You are never confident you are going to get it. You never know, things turn differently, people start going different ways. The teams are always pushing for their guys to go and start. Obviously we have a lot of great third baseman in the league doing well this year. I'm not the only one doing well. At the end of the day, I had to keep playing baseball, keep doing what I'm doing, and let the fans take care of the voting and see who they want to play.

"It's not just about participating, but having a few guys on your same team go with you, that just makes the trip a lot better. I think we have 25 of us that should go to the All-Star Game. We have a great team. None of this is possible without each other. We are a family here. To go with a couple teammates of us, together, I think is awesome. It makes the all star game a little more awesome, a little more unique when you have your buddies there with you."

Brad Brach on being a first time All-Star: "I don't really have words to describe it. It's been a fun three years now. Now to go back to San Diego, it's going to be awesome. I'm real excited about it. I started to think about it more (recently) because more questions were being asked. That was pretty much the only reason why. Obviously, the anticipation building up to it was a lot. I found out and it's good news."

Brach on how he found out: "Actually Buck (Showalter) texted my wife. Like, 'Hey give me a call without Brad being able to see.' She went in the bathroom. She was on the phone. She came out, and that's when she told me.

Mark Trumbo on making it in his first year as an Oriole: "It's awesome. Anytime you are up for something like this, it's a huge honor. I guess I am lucky enough to have done enough to maybe get a chance to go out there and compete a little bit. I think it is probably a little bit more special maybe. But any chance you get to do something like this it is equally as cool probably."

Trumbo took part in the Home Run Derby in 2012 - what about this year?: "I guess it's a possibility. I haven't heard anything yet, but I have interest. And if it works out, I think it would be a lot of fun."

Trumbo said being in this lineup has helped him have a big year: "It's a lot fun. When guys are clicking, this is a unique lineup. It's the most powerful I've been on. You kind of feed off each other and that has really helped me this year. Watching the tremendous talent around me, you just want to be one of the guys and do your thing. I think I am in as good a situation as you can ask for."

Zach Britton on making his second straight All-Star game: "It's pretty cool. It was obviously a big honor last year to go. I kind of that thought about it coming into this year, hopefully I could perform at that level again. So to get selected for the second straight year is pretty neat."

Britton on O's getting five in the game: "It means we've been playing well for a few years. Gone to the playoffs a few times. It shows us we've come a long way as an organization. Obviously, offensively, we have one of the top offenses in the game. It's an honor to be going as a reliever. Now just kind of looking forward to finishing this first half strong. We need to get back on a winning streak. But to go represent the organization again is pretty cool."

Wieters on going to his fourth All-Star game and first since his Tommy John surgery: "It's exciting. It's a fun event, it's a fun game. Just to be there with some of the better players in the game, I'm excited. First one after the surgery, you can take a little bit of extra satisfaction to be able to get back after having surgery. It's great."

Wieters on Brach and the O's having five All-Stars: "It's awesome. He's had a great year. I think his numbers are as good as anybody's out there. We're all happy for him. It's tough to do, for a non-closer to make it. It really speaks to how good of a year he's having. It's something that really shows what a strength of this team is, to have that bullpen to close out games.

It's fun when you get to go with more than one guy. My first couple years, it would be just one guy who went. It's a lot more fun when you have multiple guys from a team and it's a good indicator of where we are in the standings, but also a good indicator of what other people around the league think about your team."