Chasing a sixth-inning foul pop near the Rangers dugout in the sixth inning, A.J. Pierzynski nearly makes contact with George W. Bush, who is sitting in the owner’s box with his wife, Laura. The ball drops harmlessly into the stands, but the former president takes the opportunity to comment the startled White Sox catcher.

Brian Fuentes of the A’s falls to 1-7, dropping his fourth straight decision. He becomes the third reliever (since at least 1920) to lose 7 times in his team’s first 50 games – Gene Garber and Jim Kern had previously done so.

Corey Hart hits his first three homers of the year and has 7 RBI to power Milwaukee past Washington, 11 – 3. The second of the three blasts is the 100th of his career.

The Rangers get two mainstays of their offense back as Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz both homer in their return from the disabled list to lead them to a 4 – 0 win over the White Sox. Alexi Ogando is the winner in his first career shutout.

Asdrubal Cabrera collects five hits, including two homers, as the Indians defeat Cincinnati, 12 – 4. He becomes only the fifth major league shortstop with a five-hit, two-homer game and the first since Barry Larkin in 2000.

James Shields delivers a big game as the Rays top the Marlins, 4 – 0, at Sun Life Stadium. Shields strikes out a Rays-record 13 batters in pitching a three-hit shutout, retiring 20 of the first 21 batters he faces. He also drives in his team’s first run with a groundout in the 2nd inning. Jay Buente is the loser in his first career start.

Wearing the uniforms from the 1918 World Series, the Cubs score 8 runs in the 8th inning, taking advantage of three Boston errors, to win, 9 – 3, at Fenway Park. Two of the runs score on a botched rundown of Alfonso Soriano, which acounts for two of the miscues. Losing P Matt Albers gives up 6 runs without retiring a batter. The game is marred by an injury to Cubs CF Marlon Byrd, who suffers multiple fractures when beaned by Alfredo Aceves.

Tim Lincecum takes advantage of creeping shadows in a mid-afternoon start to stifle the Oakland A’s bats, defeating them, 3 – 0, and throwing a three-hitter. The Giants ace strikes out six and walks none.

After being shut out by the Mets in back-to-back games, the Nationals have their biggest offensive game since moving to Washington, DC in 2005. They beat the Orioles, 17 – 5, launching 6 homers. Jayson Werth hits two of the long balls, and Danny Espinosa, who collects 6 RBI, Roger Bernadina, Wilson Ramos and Laynce Nix hit the others. Both the 17 runs and the 6 homers are team marks since the move to the nation’s capital.

The Chicago Cubs make their first visit to Fenway Park since the 1918 World Series, but the Red Sox prove to be poor hosts, whacking them, 15 – 5. The Cubs commit 4 errors and give up 19 hits, while the Sox take advantage of the Green Monster to launch 6 doubles and a pair of homers in its direction. Adrian Gonzalez has 4 hits and 4 RBI in the Sox’s 7th straight win.