After 63 years of doing play-by-play, Milo Hamilton, calls his final game, painting the word picture of his Astros beating St. Louis at Minute Maid Park, 2-0. The Hall of Fame broadcaster, who also worked for the Browns, Cardinals, Cubs, White Sox, Braves, and Pirates before starting his 28-year tenure with Houston, gives an inspirational farewell speech during the seventh-inning stretch, receiving a standing ovation from the fans at the ballpark.

With Zack Greinke fanning 13 batters during his five-inning outing and the bullpen adding another seven, the Angels’ staff combines for 20 strikeouts in the team’s 5-4 victory over Seattle, tying the record for the most ever recorded in a nine-inning game. The Anaheim starter’s performance makes him the first hurler since 1920 to whiff 13 opponents in an outing that lasts less than six innings.

The Atlanta Braves clinch a spot in the postseason as one of the National League’s two wild cards with a 4 – 3 win over the Marlins on Freddie Freeman’s two-run homer off Mike Dunn in the bottom of the 9th. The game also marks the 22nd consecutive start by Kris Medlen which the Braves have won, matching a record set by two Hall of Famers: Carl Hubbell in 1936-1937 and Whitey Ford, whose streak lasted from 1950 to Yankees, with a two-year interruption for military service.

The Angels tie a major league record by striking out 20 opponents in a 5 – 4 win over the Mariners. Zack Greinke starts things off by fanning 13 in 5 innings, tying a modern record, and relievers Garrett Richards, Kevin Jepsen and Ernesto Frieri add seven more over the last four frames.

Curtis Granderson becomes only the fifth player in franchise history to hit 40 home runs in consecutive seasons when he goes deep into the upper deck at Target Field in the Yankees’ 6-3 victory over Minnesota. The 31 year-old southpaw-swinging slugger joins Jason Giambi and Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Mickey Mantle as the only other Bronx Bombers to accomplish the feat.

The Cardinals defeat the Astros, 6 – 1, as Lance Lynn picks up his 17th win. Pete Kozma hits a two-run homer as the Cards now have a commanding 3 1/2 game lead over their nearest rivals for a wild card spot.

The Orioles lose a half-game to the Yankees when they split a doubleheader with the Blue Jays. Steve Johnson pitches five shutout innings to win the opener as Adam Jones goes 4 for 4 with a homer in a 4 – 1, win, but in the nitecap, J.P. Arencibia’s 7th-inning grand slam is the difference in the Jays’ 9 – 5 win. Ricky Romero is the winner, snapping a personal 13-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Yankees defeat the Twins, 6 – 3, behind Andy Pettitte to move to 1 1/2 games in front of the Birds. Curtis Granderson hits his 40th homer, becoming the fifth Yankee to hit forty dingers in back-to-back seasons.

Jered Weaver wins his 19th game of the season to help the Angels complete a three-game sweep of the White Sox, 4 – 1. Albert Pujols records his 100th RBI in the win, the 11th time he has been in triple digits in his 12 major league seasons. The win brings the Halos within 2 1/2 games of a wild card berth, but they are finding it hard to overcome a 6-20 start, and a 14-22 streak immediately after the All-Star break.

Gio Gonzalez becomes the second pitcher in franchise history to win 20 games in a season when Washington beats Milwaukee at Nationals Park, 10-4. The 27 year-old southpaw joins Ross Grimsley, who accomplished the feat in 1978 when the club played in Montreal as the Expos.

The Yankees and Orioles both win in extra innings as they remain separated by one game in their epic race for the AL East crown. New York trails Oakland, 9 – 5, going into the bottom of the 13th after three A’s homers, but the Yankees manage to tie the game and win, 10 – 9, on a 14th-inning run. For its part, Baltimore scores three times in the 13th to beat Boston, 9 – 6, for the team’s 16th consecutive extra-innings win.