2016 – The Twins trade their sole All-Star, SS/3B Eduardo Nunez, to the Giants in return for pitching prospect Adalberto Mejia. Nunez, a life-long back-up until this season, is having a career year, but the Giants are about to get three infielders back from the disabled list – 2B Joe Panik, 3B Matt Duffy and back-up Ehire Adrianza – so it is puzzling why they would feel the need to add another one at this point.

The Blue Jays acquire OF Melvin Upton from San Diego for P Hansel Rodriguez. The Jays also sent embattled reliever Drew Storen to the Mariners in return for Joaquin Benoit, who has also been struggling badly of late.

In the 20th season of interleague play since its launch in 1997, the last remaining possible match-up occurs, as the Padres visit Toronto for the first time ever, meaning that every team has now visited every other major league team at least once. The Jays win the game, 4 – 2, behind Aaron Sanchez, who records his 10th straight win, the first Blue Jays pitcher to do so since Roy Halladay in 2003. Alex Dickerson hits a two-run homer for the Padres in the 9th, extending the team’s record streak of games with at least one home run to 23.

In a rare development, the Yankees are sellers at the trading deadline as they send P Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs in return for a very rich package of prospects that includes OFs Rashad Crawford and Billy McKinney, IF Gleyber Torres and P Adam Warren. The Yankees were dealing from a position of strength, with two other top-class relievers on hand in Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances, while Chapman is headed for free agency after the season.

2016 – Ken Griffey, Jr. and Mike Piazza are inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Cooperstown, NY. Griffey obtained the highest percentage of the vote ever – 99.3% – in being elected in his first year of eligibility by the BBWAA, while Piazza made it on his fourth try. A crowd estimated at 50,000, the second-largest ever at Cooperstown, is on hand to witness the event.

2016 – The Dodgers do what no other team has been able to do this year: hand Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg a loss. Justin Turner homers twice and drives in 5 runs to lead Los Angeles to a 6 – 3 win. Strasburg is now 13-1 on the year, and had won 16 straight decisions dating back to last year.

2016 – All eyes are on P Drew Pomeranz, the All-Star who is making his first start for the Red Sox against the Giants, but it is 1B Hanley Ramirez who steals the show, hitting 3 homers and driving in 6 runs to lead Boston to an 11 – 7 win. Pomeranz pitches three scoreless innings, but loses it completely in the 4th as he allows the first seven Giants batters to reach base, including a three-run homer by Mac Williamson; his opponent, Matt Cain, in his return from the disabled list, does even worse, giving up three homers in 2 1/3 innings. Matt Barnes is awarded the win on a rare occasion where the final decision is left up to the official scorer.

2016 – The last-place Minnesota Twins fire General Manager Terry Ryan. His second stint as GM of the club had begun in 2011.

In another excellent pitching performance, Jacob deGrom tosses a one-hitter as the Mets defeat the Phillies, 5 – 0. Only a 3rd-inning single by P Zach Eflin keeps deGrom from making history.

Starling Marte homers off Oliver Perez in the 18th inning to give Pittsburgh a 2 – 1 win over Washington. Pittsburgh thinks it has wrapped up a 1 – 0 win in regulation time, but Daniel Murphy homers off closer Mark Melancon with two outs and two strikes to send the game into extra innings. The Bucs almost win it again in the 16th when Josh Harrison doubles with Erik Kratz on base, but a perfect relay from Michael Taylor to Danny Espinosa to C Wilson Ramos nabs Kratz and prolongs the game some more.