David Price of the Tigers has a historically bad outing in a start against the Yankees. In the 3rd inning, he allows a base hit to the first 9 batters he faces before being lifted; he is the first pitcher to allow 9 straight hits since Bob Forsch on August 3, 1989, and ends up allowing 8 earned runs on 12 hits in only 2 innings, something accomplished by only three other pitchers before him. For their part, the Yankees fall one shy of the American League record for consecutive hits as they win, 8 – 4.

Another top Cubs prospect homers in his major league debut, three weeks after Javier Baez. Cuban OF Jorge Soler goes deep in his first career at-bat, against Mat Latos of the Reds in the 2nd inning, immediately after Luis Valbuena had also homered. Soler adds an RBI single later in the game, but Chicago still falls, 7 – 5. For the Reds, rookie OF Billy Hamilton steals his 50th base of the year, the 9th player in team history to reach the mark.

2014 – Madison Bumgarner has a dominant performance against the Rockies, retiring the first 21 batters he faces before allowing a lead-off double to Justin Morneau in the 8th. He then proceeds to retire the next 6 batters in order to complete a 3 – 0 one-hit shutout. The Giants ace strikes out 13 while walking none.

2014 – The Orioles hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the 5th inning of their game against the Rays, as Delmon Young hits a three-run shot, followed by long balls by J.J. Hardy and Chris Davis. Nick Markakis and Steve Pearce had hit back-to-back homers off Jake Odorizzi in the 3rd, to mark the first time in team history that the Orioles have recorded the two combinations in the same game. They win easily, 9 – 1, with Chris Tillman the beneficiary of the long ball explosion.

Joc Pederson becomes the fourth player in the history of the Pacific Coast League to have a 30-30 season, and the first to accomplish the feat in 80 years, when he steals his 30th base for the Isotopes. The 22 year-old Albuquerque slugger, who has 32 home runs and a .432 slugging percentage in 116 games this season, will join the Dodgers when rosters expand next week.

Draci Brno wins yet another Czech Extraliga title, as Petr Minařík allows two hits and no runs in 7 in the decisive Game 5 against Kotlarka Praha. Michal Ondráček drives in Martin Schneider with the eventual game-winner in the 3rd; Schneider later relieves Minařík and notches the save.

2014 – Less than a week after the first successful protest in 28 years, the Rays file one of their own after today’s 5 – 4, extra innings loss to the Blue Jays. Rays manager Joe Maddon objects to a ruling by crew chief Bob Davidson in the 4th inning, who allows a video review on a pick-off play even though Blue Jays P Mark Buehrle has already stepped on the pitching rubber and the batter was in the batter’s box. The review is successful, giving the Jays a key out. The rule states that a play should no longer be reviewable at that point, although the final decision is left to the crew chief. Major League Baseball Vice-President Joe Torre agrees to hear the protest – a rare step in itself – but on August 26th, the protest will be denied as the umpires acted within the margin of discretion granted them.

Statues designed by Matt Glenn and a team of artists as a tribute to the youth sports organization are unveiled in Williamsport to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Little League. The ‘Bases Loaded’ project consists of ten life-sized bronze sculptures positioned on Market Street, which has been painted like a baseball diamond.

2014 – The Red Sox sign Cuban defector Rusney Castillo to a seven-year deal worth $72.5 million, a record amount for an international signing, topping the $68 million the White Sox paid for 1B Jose Abreu last year. The contract will be official after Castillo passes a physical exam, and he is expected to make his big league debut before the end of the season.

The Angels complete a four-game sweep of the Red Sox at Fenway Park to consolidate their position as the best team in the majors at this point. Rookie Matt Shoemaker improves to 12-4 as he keeps the Sox hitless through 6 2/3 innings before Will Middlebrooks hits a double for Boston’s only safety in a 2 – 0 loss. Earlier today, the Angels get bad news when they learn that P Garrett Richards, who injured his knee the day before, is out for the season. They call up veteran Wade LeBlanc from AAA to take Richards’ place and acquire 2B Gordon Beckham from the White Sox to add some infield depth in anticipation of the postseason.