David Howard steals home‚ the second Royal to do it in 2 days – Bob Hamelin also swiped home against the Tigers – and Kevin Appier pitches 7 2/3 strong innings to give the Royals their 4th straight win‚ 4 – 2.

The Athletics spoil Dwight Gooden Day in New York City by hitting five homers – three by Yankee-killer Geronimo Berroa – to beat the Yankees, 5 – 1. The five runs, all coming on solo homers, ties the major league mark.

Albert Belle’s 21-game hitting streak is stopped when, with two men on, he strikes out in the 9th inning to end the game, a 10 – 8 Cleveland loss to the Brewers.

The Phils’ Terry Mulholland defeats the Padres, 5 – 4. Mulholland, who entered the game with the third-lowest batting average in history of any player with 400 at bats, clouts a 407-foot home run in the 2nd inning off Sean Bergman. As Mulholland explains, “Most great power hitters don’t hit for a high average.”

At Fenway Park, Seattle pounds out 19 hits to beat Boston, 13 – 7. Ken Griffey, Jr. becomes the 7th-youngest player to collect 200 homers when he connects in the M’s six-run 4th inning. Jay Buhner hits a two-run shot in the inning, the 5th game in a row he’s connected, and Edgar Martinez adds four hits in the game.

Dave Weathers homers and pitches six shutout innings as the streaking Marlins win, 3 – 2, over the slumping Reds. The Marlins (24-23) are over .500 for the first time in two years.

In a 12 – 10 defeat of the Pirates, Larry Walker sets a Rockies club record with 13 total bases. The right fielder drives in a six runs with a pair of two-run homers, a triple and a double. Colorado tallies 20 hits. The following day, Walker will get a double and consecutive triples to set a new National League record by getting extra-base hits in six straight plate appearances. He will also tie the major league record for most extra-base hits (seven) in two consecutive games.

In San Francisco, the fans and players ignore a light earthquake at 3Com Park – 4.8 on the Richter scale – in the 3rd inning, and the Giants break a 6th-inning tie to win, 8 – 5, over the Expos. Matt Williams hits his 11th home run and drives in three runs for San Francisco, while Henry Rodriguez hits his 17th homer for the Expos. His three ribbies give him 51 to lead the National League.

Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, GA opens, though the 1996 Summer Olympics are still two months away. Following the Olympics, the stadium will be partially reconstructed as Turner Field.