In a move that surprises its players, the fourth-place Marlins (34-36) fire their manager, Fredi Gonzalez, along with bench coach Carlos Tosca and hitting coach Jim Presley. Edwin Rodriguez, the skipper of the team’s Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans, is named to fill the position on an interim basis.

The Marlins fire manager Fredi Gonzalez and two coaches, naming AAA New Orleans manager Edwin Rodriguez to replace him, although rumors are that owner Jeffrey Loria wants to convince former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine to take over the team. The move comes with Florida in 4th place in the NL East, but with a respectable 34-36 record. Loria explains that he wants to give the team a new impulsion.

He may have missed the season’s first month, but the Mariners’ ace, Cliff Lee, is still baffling hitters. He picks up is his 4th complete game of the season in defeating the Cubs, 8 – 1, also earning his 6th consecutive win and lowering his American League-leading ERA to 2.39. Michael Saunders homers and drives in 4 runs in support of Lee’s pitching.

Even when he loses, Nationals super-rookie Stephen Strasburg is almost untouchable. The Royals only score one run and strike out 9 times in 6 innings, but still hand him his first career loss, 1 – 0, behind Brian Bannister’s outstanding start. Strasburg collects his first hit and now has 41 strikeouts against only 5 walks in his first four starts.