The Rays are also making a playoff push, beating the Red Sox, 6 – 5, to cut another game off their lead in the Wild Card race. Rays closer Jeff Farnsworth suffers a blown save when he gives up back-to-back homers to Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jacoby Ellsbury with one out in the 9th inning to tie the game at 5-all. Farnsworth then issues a double to Dustin Pedroia and walks Adrian Gonzalez, but Cesar Ramos then steps in to get the Rays out of the jam. In the bottom of the 11th, the Rays win the game when Desmond Jennings hits a lead-off triple and Evan Longoria drives him in with a single.

Dan Haren pitches a four-hit shutout, denying CC Sabathia his bid for his 20th win of the year, as the Angels blank the Yankees, 6 – 0. The win moves the Halos to within 1 1/2 games of the AL West-leading Texas Rangers. The Angels score their last 5 runs off rookies Hector Noesi and George Kontos, after Sabathia departs after 6 innings, trailing, 1 – 0. Jorge Posada is pressed into service behind the plate for the first time this season for the Yankees after Russell Martin leaves the game with a bruised thumb in the 2nd inning.

2011 – The Tampa Bay Rays continue their late charge for a postseason berth by beating the Red Sox, 7 – 2, behind a complete game by Wade Davis. The Rays are now 5 1/2 games behind Boston in the Wild Card race; the Red Sox, beset by injuries, have lost 5 of 6 and 8 of 11.

The Braves sweep a doubleheader from the Mets at Citi Field, increasing their lead in the Wild Card race to 7 1/2 games. A pair of rookies pick up the wins, Mike Minor in the 6 – 5 defeat of New York in the opener, and Julio Teheran, with his first major league victory, as the Braves prevail, 5 – 1, in the nightcap. All four starters are in fact rookies (Chris Schwinden and Dillon Gee start for the Mets), the first time four rookie pitchers are the starters in a doubleheader since 1965.

Ian Kennedy picks up his National League-leading 19th win as the Diamondbacks defeat San Diego, 4 – 1. He fans 11 batters in 7 2/3 innings in a dominating effort. J.J. Putz then picks up his 38th save as the D-Backs have now won 14 of their last 16.

Alex Liddi becomes the first player born and raised in Italy to play in the major leagues. The Mariners’ third baseman, who goes 0-for-2 in the loss to L.A., is the first MLB European Academy alumnus to make the show.

The Cardinals’ Chris Carpenter pitches his first shutout in exactly two years as he whitewashes the Brewers, 2 – 0, beating Zack Greinke. The Cards still trail the Brew Crew by 8 1/2 games, however.

The Tampa Bay Rays, née Devil Rays, win the 1000th game in franchise history when rookie Desmond Jennings connects for a walk-off home run off Mark Lowe in the 10th inning of today’s game against the Texas Rangers for a 5- 4 win.

The Giants edge a little closer to the Diamondbacks in the NL West with a 6 – 4 win over San Diego. Eric Surkamp wins his first major league decision while Brett Pill hits a two-run homer in his first major league at-bat for the Giants. Meanwhile, the D-Backs lose, 8 – 3, to the Rockies, to see their lead fall to 6 games. Colorado scores 7 times in the 8th inning, highlighted by Troy Tulowitzki’s three-run homer. Tulowitzki becomes the second NL shortstop to have a 30-HR, 100-RBI season.