Greg Dobbs breaks the Phillies’ 95 year-old club record for pinch hits in a season. The Californian’s seventh-inning pinch-hit game-tying double, his 21st hit off the bench breaks the mark established by Doc Miller in 1913.

Trying to hold on to their lead in the NL West, the Diamondbacks acquire 2006 World Series MVP David Eckstein from the Blue Jays for Chad Beck.

CC Sabathia improves to 9-0 with a 1.43 ERA since joining the Brewers, with a one-hitter against the Pirates. The lone hit is a grounder back to the mound by Andy LaRoche which Sabathia bobbles. Brewer manager Ned Yost and LF Ryan Braun both say it was undoubtedly an error and that Sabathia had a no-hitter; an appeal is filed over the ruling. Milwaukee wins, 7 – 0; it is Pittsburgh’s 10th loss in a row.

David Eckstein is traded by the Blue Jays to the Diamondbacks for minor league pitching prospect Chad Beck. The 33 year-old infielder, who played a pivotal role for the 2002 World Champions Angels and was named the 2006 World Series MVP playing for the Cardinals, is obtained by Arizona to provide postseason leadership and experience.

With a 14-3 victory over the Orioles, the Rays are assured of their first winning season in the 11 year-old history of the franchise. Tampa Bay, presently in first place with an 82-51 record, had never won more than 70 games in a season.

2008 – With a month still to play, the Tampa Bay Rays clinch the first winning record in franchise history, going to 82-51 with a 14 – 3 rout of the Orioles. Ben Zobrist hits a grand slam and Cliff Floyd drives in five while Scott Kazmir gets the historic victory.

The Red Sox’ last regular season game at Yankee Stadium is a fitting finale for the two rivals at the 85 year-old historic ballpark. Trailing 2-0, the Bronx Bombers rally late in the game, thanks to Jason Giambi’s seventh-inning pinch-hit two-run homer and his walk-off single in the ninth, to beat Boston, 3-2, avoiding a sweep and keeping their wild-card hopes alive.

In the 11-2 victory over the Dodgers, Cristian Guzman becomes the second player in Nationals history to hit for the cycle, joining Brad Wilkerson, who accomplished the feat in 2005, the team’s first year in Washington, D.C. The 30 year-old shortstop completes his cycle with an eighth inning triple.

The Cubs game against the Phillies at Wrigley Field becomes the first contest to be played with the use of video replay available to umpires to review calls in regards to fair or foul home runs, balls in or out of the ballpark, and fan interference determinations. The new technology, which doesn’t need to be employed in any of the three ballparks going online today, will be used by all major league clubs starting tomorrow.

2008 – Major League Baseball places Pedro Alvarez on the restricted list for failing to sign the contract he verbally agreed to prior to the August 15th signing deadline. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Alvarez second overall in the 2008 amateur draft.