The Rangers win their tenth straight game, 5 – 3, over the Tigers, thanks to homers by Mike Napoli and Joey Gallo while Nick Martinez wins a start for the first time since August 2015. However, they are still 6 1/2 games back of the Astros in the AL West, as Houston has won 8 of 10 during that span.

Manager Joe Maddon earns his 1000th career win as the Cubs defeat Cincinnati, 9 – 5, thanks to homers by Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Ian Happ. The win brings the Cubs back to .500 on the season.

Chris Davis homers twice in extra innings to help the Orioles outlast the Tigers, 13 – 11. His blast in the 12th inning sets up a three-run outburst, but Detroit replies with three runs of its own to keep the game going. In the 13th, Davis tees off against Francisco Rodriguez with a runner on third base, and those two runs prove to be the margin of victory. The Orioles squander an early 7 – 1 lead and need a homer by Mark Trumbo with two outs in the 9th to stay alive. For Detroit, J.D. Martinez homers twice, including a grand slam, and they have the winning run on third base in both the 11th and 12th innings, but both times, Tyler Collins, mired in an 0-for-30 slump, makes the final out without cashing in the runner. Richard Bleier earns his first career win in the slugfest.

The Yankees officially retire uniform number 2 in honor of Derek Jeter and unveil a plaque in his name in Monument Park at New Yankee Stadium between games of a doubleheader against the Astros. They win the opener, 11 – 6, thanks to a bases-loaded triple by Chase Headley and homers by Starlin Castro, Aaron Judge and Brett Gardner. In the nitecap, Masahiro Tanaka gives up three 1st-inning homers, including a grand slam by Alex Bregman as New York goes down, 10 – 7. George Springer homers twice for Houston which leads 9 – 0 before the Yankees score some late runs to make the game appear closer than it is. Before the games, they place closer Aroldis Chapman on the disabled list with inflammation in his left shoulder.

Bryce Harper signs a contract extension that will pay him $21.6 million in 2018, his final year before he becomes eligible for free agency, an amount which is a record for a player in his arbitration years. He then celebrates by hitting a walk-off homer off Edubray Ramos with two outs in the 9th to lead Washington to a 6 – 4 win over the Phillies.

Buster Posey homers in the 17th inning to send the Giants to a 3 – 2 win over the Reds, in a game that takes 5 hours and 28 minutes. Posey’s shot off Robert Stephenson is the latest walk-off homer in San Francisco’s history, bettering a 16th-inning blast by Willie Mays in 1963. Umpire Tony Randazzo has to leave the game in the 13th, feeling the after-effects of having been hit in the face by a Johnny Cueto fastball back in the 5th.

Sparks continue to fly between the Orioles and Red Sox. The whole ruckus started on April 21st, when Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia was spiked on a hard slide by Manny Machado and had to miss a few games. On April 23rd, Matt Barnes was ejected for throwing a pitch behind Machado and was handed a four-game suspension. When the teams meet again at Fenway Park this week, more incidents follow: on May 1st, Orioles CF Adam Jonesdenounces racial slurs directed at him by spectators, prompting the Red Sox to apologize and take action by banning the offending patron. But bad blood flows again when Chris Sale throws a fastball at Machado the next day eliciting only a warning. Major League Baseball warns both teams to be on their best behavior before today’s game, but in the 2nd inning, Orioles P Kevin Gausman hits Xander Bogaerts and is tossed, even if the pitch was a curveball. Umpire Sam Holbrook explains that “there needs to be an end to this stuff”. For good measure, Jones is tossed out as well in the 5th, but for arguing balls and strikes. When the dust settles, Boston wins the game, 4 – 2, behind Drew Pomeranz and Craig Kimbrel.

Ryan Goins drives in two runners on a sacrifice fly in the 6th inning of Toronto’s 7 – 1 win over the Yankees. Jacoby Ellsbury catches his fly to deep center at New Yankee Stadium, but crashes into the fence and falls to the ground, allowing Devon Travis to score from second base, behind Justin Smoak. It is the first two-RBI sac fly in team history. Goins adds a two-run homer, as does Jose Bautista, to help the Jays win their third straight after a very tough month of April.