Cole Hamels pitches 8 scoreless innings as the Phillies complete a three-game sweep of the Padres in San Diego with a 5 – 0 win. It is Hamels’ first win in 9 starts, even though he has put up a 2.83 ERA during the stretch. The Padres have now lost four in a row for the first time this year, but still lead San Francisco by 5 games in the NL West. That lead will quickly evaporate, though.

For the first time in major league history, a walk-off home run is subject to a video review. After pinch-hitter Matt Diaz hits a two-run homer off the Marlins’ Leo Nunez in the 9th to tie the score and cap a comeback from a 6 – 1 deficit, the Braves’ Brian McCann hits a ball to deep right that bounces back onto the field. The umpires initially rule it a double, and McCann is standing at second base when the umpires step out to look at the replay; when it shows that the ball hit above the fence, he can trot home, where he is mugged by celebrating teammates.

The White Sox pick up slugger Manny Ramirez on waivers from the Dodgers, assuming the remainder of his salary for the year, estimated at $3.85 million. The Sox offered the Dodgers a prospect in order to pay a smaller portion of Manny’s salary, but Los Angeles declined the offer. His last presence as a Dodger is a pinch-hitting appearance with the bases loaded today, during which he is ejected for arguing a first-pitch strike. The 38-year-old Ramirez has missed 59 games this season through various injuries, but has batted a solid .313 with 8 homers and 40 RBI when he has taken the field.

2010 – Tim Hudson sets a career high with 13 strikeouts in a 12 – 3 Braves win over the Marlins, snapping a four-game losing streak. The Braves give him an early lead with a six-run 2nd inning highlighted by Matt Diaz’s home run and Brian McCann’s three-run double.

The Nationals announce 22 year-old right-hander Stephen Strasburg will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament, which will require about 12 to 18 months of rehabilitation. The rookie sensation, whose presence on the mound earlier in the season brought President Obama, along with his two daughters, to Nationals Park to watch the phenom pitch against the White Sox, finishes his freshman year with a 5-3 won-loss record in his 12 starts, striking out 92 batters in 68 innings while compiling an ERA of 2.91.

Braves starter Tommy Hanson, who begins the game without having given up a homer in his last 47.2 innings on the mound, sees his streak end when Marlin leadoff hitter Cameron Maybin drills the first pitch of the game into the left-field seats at Turner Field. Logan Morrison, the next batter, then connects off the Atlanta right-hander for his first major league round-tripper, making it the first time in franchise history that Florida has led off a game with back-to-back homers.

The Twins strengthen their bullpen for the postseason, picking up Brian Fuentes from the Angels in return for a player to be named later, a few days after claiming Randy Flores on waivers from the Rockies.

Jay Bruce hits three home runs in Cincinnati’s 7 – 1 win over the Cubs. Chris Valaika also homers off Cubs starter Tom Gorzelanny for his first major league long ball as Johnny Cueto picks up the win.

Cedric Hunter of Portland has a great day at the plate in a 17 – 12 win over Tacoma in the Pacific Coast League. He collects a franchise-record 8 RBI with a pair of three-run homers, a double and a single both plating a run, and another single for good measure. Dusty Ryan, with a grand slam, and Sean Kazmar also homer for Portland, while five Tacoma players do the same, including Mike Carp who hits two.

Albert Pujols of St. Louis hits the 400th homer of his career, off Jordan Zimmermann of the Nationals in the 4th inning. Pujols becomes the 47th major leaguer to hit that many and is the third-youngest to do so after Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. However, the hit is a distant memory by the time the game reaches its conclusion after 13 innings with an 11 – 10 Nats win. Ian Desmond drives in Nyjer Morgan from third base with a single through a drawn-in infield to end the roller-coaster game, giving him 3 hits and 4 RBI on the night as Blake Hawksworth takes the loss. 15 pitchers see action during the game. The Cards take a 10 – 8 lead in the top of the 9th with a four-run outburst, only to see Roger Bernadina blast a two-run homer off Ryan Franklin to send the contest into extra innings. The Cards have now lost 8 of 11.