After 18 consecutive losses in Cleveland, the Rays finally beat the hometown Indians for the first time in nearly five years. With the 6-3 victory over the Tribe, Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon snaps a 0-21 personal losing streak as the visiting manager that began when he was California’s interim skipper in 1996.

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After 18 consecutive losses in Cleveland, the Rays finally beat the hometown Indians for the first time in nearly five years. With the 6-3 victory over the Tribe, Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon snaps a 0-21 personal losing streak as the visiting manager that began when he was California’s interim skipper in 1996.

With a bases-empty homer in the first, a ground-rule double in the fifth, a two-run triple in the sixth, and a single in the eighth inning of the Diamondbacks’ 7-4 loss to San Francisco at Chase Field, Kelly Johnson becomes the fourth player in franchise history to complete a cycle. The Arizona second baseman joins Luis Gonzalez (2000), Greg Colbrunn (2002), and Stephen Drew (2008) to accomplish the feat with the D-Backs.

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With a bases-empty homer in the first, a ground-rule double in the fifth, a two-run triple in the sixth, and a single in the eighth inning of the Diamondbacks’ 7-4 loss to San Francisco at Chase Field, Kelly Johnson becomes the fourth player in franchise history to complete a cycle. The Arizona second baseman joins Luis Gonzalez (2000), Greg Colbrunn (2002), and Stephen Drew (2008) to accomplish the feat with the D-Backs.

For the second straight game, the Virgin Islands fall a run shy of the winning their first game since the 1978 Central American and Caribbean Games. After falling 1 – 0 to Panama in their first game of the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games, they lead Guatemala, 5 – 2, going into the bottom of the 9th only to lose, 7 – 6, in 11 innings.

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For the second straight game, the Virgin Islands fall a run shy of the winning their first game since the 1978 Central American and Caribbean Games. After falling 1 – 0 to Panama in their first game of the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games, they lead Guatemala, 5 – 2, going into the bottom of the 9th only to lose, 7 – 6, in 11 innings.

2010 – Today’s game between the Dodgers and Giants is decided through unusual events. Dodger Coach Don Mattingly is acting for manager Joe Torre, ejected earlier in the game along with P Clayton Kershaw and bench coach Bob Schaefer, when he calls a conference on the mound with the bases loaded and closer Jonathan Broxton trying to protect a 5 – 4 lead. As he walks away from the mound, Mattingly hears a question from 1B James Loney and walks back to the mound to answer him. Opposing manager Bruce Bochy contends successfully that this constitutes a second visit to the mound, and that Mattingly should be forced to remove Broxton from the game. He replaces him with the struggling (and unprepared) George Sherrill, who promptly gives up a bases-clearing double to Andres Torres. However, the umpires, led by Adrian Johnson, are wrong on the play, as Mattingly should have been ejected and Broxton forced to complete the at-bat before being removed, during which time Sherrill could have warmed up more properly. In any case, the play is allowed to stand, with San Francisco getting a 7 – 5 win.

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2010 – Today’s game between the Dodgers and Giants is decided through unusual events. Dodger Coach Don Mattingly is acting for manager Joe Torre, ejected earlier in the game along with P Clayton Kershaw and bench coach Bob Schaefer, when he calls a conference on the mound with the bases loaded and closer Jonathan Broxton trying to protect a 5 – 4 lead. As he walks away from the mound, Mattingly hears a question from 1B James Loney and walks back to the mound to answer him. Opposing manager Bruce Bochy contends successfully that this constitutes a second visit to the mound, and that Mattingly should be forced to remove Broxton from the game. He replaces him with the struggling (and unprepared) George Sherrill, who promptly gives up a bases-clearing double to Andres Torres. However, the umpires, led by Adrian Johnson, are wrong on the play, as Mattingly should have been ejected and Broxton forced to complete the at-bat before being removed, during which time Sherrill could have warmed up more properly. In any case, the play is allowed to stand, with San Francisco getting a 7 – 5 win.

Mat Latos’s excellent season is in jeopardy as he goes on the disabled list for an unusual reason. The Padres righthander, who has 10 wins this year, strained a muscle in his left side while attempting to hold back a sneeze last week.

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Mat Latos’s excellent season is in jeopardy as he goes on the disabled list for an unusual reason. The Padres righthander, who has 10 wins this year, strained a muscle in his left side while attempting to hold back a sneeze last week.

The White Sox’s hot streak has not been affected by the three-day layoff, as they beat one of their chief rivals in the AL Central, the Minnesota Twins, 8 – 7. John Danks gives up 6 runs with 2 outs in the 2nd inning, but the Sox grind back into the lead. J.J. Putz makes his 23rd straight scoreless appearance in relief in the Pale Hose’s 9th straight win.

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The White Sox’s hot streak has not been affected by the three-day layoff, as they beat one of their chief rivals in the AL Central, the Minnesota Twins, 8 – 7. John Danks gives up 6 runs with 2 outs in the 2nd inning, but the Sox grind back into the lead. J.J. Putz makes his 23rd straight scoreless appearance in relief in the Pale Hose’s 9th straight win.

Unused in the All-Star Game, Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum starts his team’s first game after the break and pitches a shutout over the Mets for his 50th career win, 2 – 0. R.A. Dickey is the loser in spite of a solid effort of his own.

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Unused in the All-Star Game, Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum starts his team’s first game after the break and pitches a shutout over the Mets for his 50th career win, 2 – 0. R.A. Dickey is the loser in spite of a solid effort of his own.

The Blue Jays and Braves trade shortstops, with Alex Gonzalez going from Toronto to Atlanta along with minor leaguers Tim Collins and Tyler Pastornicky, in return for Yunel Escobarand pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes. Escobar is hitting .238 with little power for the first-place Braves, while Gonzalez has shown unexpected pop with the Jays, hitting .259 with 17 homers and 50 RBI.

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The Blue Jays and Braves trade shortstops, with Alex Gonzalez going from Toronto to Atlanta along with minor leaguers Tim Collins and Tyler Pastornicky, in return for Yunel Escobarand pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes. Escobar is hitting .238 with little power for the first-place Braves, while Gonzalez has shown unexpected pop with the Jays, hitting .259 with 17 homers and 50 RBI.

C Bryce Harper of the College of Southern Nevada, the top pick in the 2010 amateur draft, wins this year’s Golden Spikes Award as the best collegiate baseball player in the United States. He is only the second player from a junior college to win the award since its creation in 1978, after Alex Fernandez in 1990.

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C Bryce Harper of the College of Southern Nevada, the top pick in the 2010 amateur draft, wins this year’s Golden Spikes Award as the best collegiate baseball player in the United States. He is only the second player from a junior college to win the award since its creation in 1978, after Alex Fernandez in 1990.

The National League wins the 2010 All-Star Game, played at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, 3 – 1, for its first win since 1996. MVP Brian McCann drives in all three runs with a bases-loaded double off Matt Thornton in the 7th. In a year in which pitchers have grabbed most of the headlines, the game is true to form, as pitchers dominate. The American League’s only score comes on a sacrifice fly by Robinson Cano.

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The National League wins the 2010 All-Star Game, played at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, 3 – 1, for its first win since 1996. MVP Brian McCann drives in all three runs with a bases-loaded double off Matt Thornton in the 7th. In a year in which pitchers have grabbed most of the headlines, the game is true to form, as pitchers dominate. The American League’s only score comes on a sacrifice fly by Robinson Cano.