BOSTON (AP) – Bronson Arroyo, Nomar Garciaparra and Edgar Renteria will play for the NL in baseball’s All-Star game. Pedro Martinez was selected, too, but he’s sitting this one out.

That’s four former Red Sox honored in the other league- as many as the current team had selected for the AL roster. But the Red Sox are doing fine without their former stars, leading the AL East by three games midway through their second season since winning the World Series.

“We’re a pretty good team. We’re a pretty deep team. We’re solid,” pitcher Curt Schilling said after wrapping up the first half of the season in Chicago. “There isn’t anything we don’t do well. We’ve got some young guys that are emerging in some very prominent spots and some young guys who have already emerged into some prominent spots. If we can stay healthy, I think we’ll be a team to contend with.”

The Red Sox made the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons, a first in franchise history. So it’s no surprise that they’re the front-runners for another postseason berth.

What’s unexpected is how they’ve gotten there.

Newcomers Mark Loretta, Mike Lowell and Alex Gonzalez have teamed with former backup Kevin Youkilis to provide Boston with defense that leads the majors with just 30 errors. Schilling has come back from his injury-riddled 2005 to go 10-3 in the first half, and closer Jonathan Papelbon has made himself a candidate for Cy Young award and rookie of the year.

Lowell was forced on the Red Sox in a deal that brought Josh Beckett to Boston, but the third baseman has hit .307 with Gold Glove-caliber defense. At the cost of a backup catcher, the Red Sox got Loretta, an everyday second baseman who is going to the All-Star game.

“Our defense has helped us a lot,” manager Terry Francona said. “It has helped make our pitching more efficient.”

Youkilis, who had never played regularly at third, became the everyday first baseman and has batted .297 with an on-base percentage of .407. After Boston paid the Braves to take Renteria away, Alex Gonzalez was expected to be an offensive liability, but he’s batting .284 while making just two errors at short.

On top of that is the usual production by David Ortiz, the AL MVP runner-up last season. He leads the league with 31 homers and 87 RBIs and has more homers and RBIs since last year’s All-Star break (57 and 159) than anyone else in baseball.

Manny Ramirez, with 24 homers and 65 RBIs, provides Ortiz protection in the lineup. Trot Nixon is on pace for a career season, batting .311 with six homers and 43 RBIs.

For the pitchers, the biggest surprise has been Papelbon, who was projected for the starting rotation but made the closer when Keith Foulke couldn’t overcome arm problems. Papelbon has given up just three runs while saving 26 games this season.

Beckett has shown flashes of dominance, Tim Wakefield has been steady, and Jon Lester is 4-0 in six starts so far. Finding a fifth starter has been a problem: 12 different pitchers have started a game for the Red Sox this year as they try to replace the injured/ineffective David Wells and Matt Clement.

More youngsters have found a home in the bullpen, with Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen preceding Papelbon into the game.

The Red Sox have had their share of injuries. Lefty David Wells has been hurt for virtually the whole season, righty Matt Clement has missed a month, centerfielder Coco Crisp missed seven weeks and former closer Keith Foulke will miss at least a month.

“But whoever we send out there plays the game and they try to do the best they can everyday,” Francona said. “I’m very pleased. I love our ballclub. I love our demeanor.”

That demeanor is a lot different than the team had when it rode the “Idiot” banner to its first World Series in 86 years. Clubhouse clowns like Johnny Damon, Kevin Millar and Martinez are gone, and there is a quieter, more professional atmosphere in the clubhouse.

“Even though we have young guys, we still have veterans. We have a great mix of guys,” Papelbon said. “I think we’ve got a great ballclub put together here. … We can definitely make a World Series run.”