The Dodgers extend their winning streak to 8 games with a 6 – 2 victory over the Astros. Rookie John Ely allows only one run in 7 innings facing the worst offense in the major leagues; he has yet to allow a walk while striking out 25 in 25 1/3 innings this season. Blake DeWitt hits two triples for the Dodgers who have moved to within two games of the NL West lead after a slow start.

It’s another epic battle between the Yankees and Red Sox at New Yankee Stadium. The Yanks take a 5 – 0 lead in the 1st inning against Daisuke Matsuzaka, but the Sox storm back to take the lead with five home runs, two by Victor Martinez, and one each by David Ortiz, J.D. Drew and Kevin Youkilis. Then, in the bottom of the 9th, Jonathan Papelbon gives up a pair of two-run homers, to Alex Rodriguez and Marcus Thames, and the Yankees end up on top, 11 – 9.

The Twins stun the Yankees with an 8th-inning grand slam by Jason Kubel against closer Mariano Rivera for a 6 – 3 win at New Yankee Stadium. Rivera had converted a record-tying 51 consecutive save opportunities at home and had not given up a grand slam since 2002; the runs are also the first he gives up this season.

Owasso High School junior Dylan Bundy, needing his team to win both ends of a doubleheader to stave off his team’s elimination from the state tournament, throws the final five innings of the opener and the first five innings of the nightcap. The future first-round pick (4th) of the Orioles, who will throw 181 pitches over the two games en route to striking out 20 batters in 10 innings, helps the Rams beat Jenks, 10-7 and 5-4, advancing his teammates to the Oklahoma state championship game. (Our thanks to Rick Heaton, sports editor/associate editor of the Owasso Reporter, for his help in providing details of this entry.)

The Tampa Bay Rays release designated hitter Pat Burrell, after his average falls to .202. A key member of the Phillies’ World Championship team in 2008, Burrell never got his bat going in a season-and-a-half with the Rays, hitting a combined .218 with 16 home runs. To replace him, the Rays promote veteran Hank Blalock from the Durham Bulls.

Dodgers RF Andre Ethier, who leads or is tied for the lead in all three National League Triple Crown categories, fractures a finger in batting practice and will be out indefinitely.

The Cincinnati Reds defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 – 3, in the annual Civil Rights Game, which honors those who have worked for racial equality in the country. For the occasion, both teams sport their 1947 uniforms. Skip Schumaker is thrown out at the plate by a relay from LF Chris Heisey to SS Orlando Cabrera to C Ramon Hernandez to end the game. The Reds’ Mike Leake, in his first professional season, is now 4-0.

After Twins manager Ron Gardenhire orders an intentional walk to Mark Teixeira and brings in righty Matt Guerrier to face Alex Rodriguez in the 7th, the Yankee third baseman blasts his 19th career grand slam to pass Frank Robinson for 7th on the all-time career home run list and give New York an 8 – 4 win.

Trey Hillman, who compiled a 152-207 record in his two-plus years with the club, is fired by the Royals. The popular and well-respected 47 year-old, who piloted the team to a 12-23 record this season, including today’s victory, will be replaced by the team’s current baseball operations assistant and former Brewers manager, Ned Yost.