It’s a busy final day before the trading deadline with a dozen trades being announced. The Dodgers steal the show by landing three pitchers, Yu Darvish, Tony Cingrani and Tony Watson, in separate deals, costing them six minor league prospects and veteran OF Scott Van Slyke. The other big acquisition goes to the Yankees, who pry SP Sonny Gray from Oakland for three prospects, two of whom – Dustin Fowler and James Kaprielian – are out with injuries for the remainder of the season. Also changing teams are Brandon Kintzler, Francisco Liriano, Addison Reed and Joe Smith, among others.

Ryan Zimmerman becomes Washington D.C.’s all-time home run leader with his 238th career round-tripper, surpassing former Senator outfielder and first baseman Frank Howard. The Nationals first baseman’s third-inning 341-foot dinger, a three-run shot, ties the score in the team’s eventual 10-6 loss to the visiting Rockies in the first game of a twin bill.

A number of deals are finalized on the penultimate day before the trading deadline. For the second time in a week, P Jaime Garcia gets traded, moving from Minnesota to the Yankees; the Rockies acquire C Jonathan Lucroy from Texas; the Royals get OF Melky Cabrera from the White Sox; and the Cubs obtain C Alex Avila and P Justin Wilson from the Tigers for Jeimer Candelario and Isaac Paredes.

Trailing 10 – 4 entering the bottom of the 9th, the Blue Jays stage the biggest 9th-inning comeback in team history to defeat the Angels, 11 – 10. Kevin Pillar hits a two-run homer and Steve Pearce caps things off with a walk-off grand slam off Bud Norris – his second in four days. Only two other players before Pearce, Cy Williams in 1926 and Jim Presley in 1986 had ever hit two walk-off grand slams in a season.

In his second appearance with the independent San Rafael Pacifics, Lou Evans sings the Star-Spangled Banner, becoming first starting pitcher in professional baseball to perform the National Anthem before taking the mound. The 37 year-old southpaw, the 19th round pick of the Marlins in 2001, retires after the game, ending his attempted comeback from a 12-year hiatus from the game due to injuries.

2017 – With the trading deadline a couple of days away, there are a few more trades announced today. In a bit of a surprise, the Mets, who had been sellers thus far, acquire P A.J. Ramos from Miami for two minor leaguers. Philadelphia are clearly sellers, however, and they send Howie Kendrick to the Nationals and P Jeremy Hellickson to the Orioles. They receive one major leaguer – Baltimore OF Hyun Soo Kim – and a pair of prospects in return for the two, with financial considerations evening things out.

The Rays make a couple of trades, acquiring relief pitcher Dan Jennings from the White Sox for prospect Casey Gillaspie and 1B Lucas Duda from the Mets for P Drew Smith. However, they lose a heartbreaker to the Yankees, 6 – 5, as an apparently inoffensive ground ball by Gary Sanchez finds a hole between SS Adeiny Hechevarria and 2B Tim Beckham to tie the game with two outs in the 9th and Brett Gardner on third base. Gardner then goes yard off Andrew Kittredge in the 11th to end the game.

The Nationals slug 8 home runs in a 15 – 2 demolition of the Brewers. The barrage includes a record-tying 5 homers in the 3rd inning, 4 of them hit consecutively by Brian Goodwin, Wilmer Difo, Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman. Michael Blazek, making his first career start allows those four long balls, as well as the one hit by Anthony Rendon one batter later that finally chases him from the game. Harper had already hit a two-run shot in the 1st, and Zimmerman and Jose Lobaton both go deep in the 4th to complete the performance. Max Scherzer, who scores on Goodwin’s homer, is the beneficiary of the outburst, winning on his birthday.