In his third big league start and matched up against the Phillies’ Roy Halladay, rookie Travis Wood of the Reds takes a perfect game into the 9th inning but fails to get even a win. The Phillies win the game, 1 – 0, in the 11th, on Carlos Ruiz’s double and Jimmy Rollins’ single. Ruiz breaks up the perfect game bid with a single in the 9th, and Wood is lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 10th after pitching 9 scoreless innings. The Reds fail to score in spite of loading the bases that inning to set up the Phillies’ winning drive an inning later.

The Seattle Mariners trade ace hurler Cliff Lee, Mark Lowe and $2.25 million to the Texas Rangers for prospects Justin Smoak, Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke and Matthew Lawson. Seattle goes for a youth movement after acquiring Lee for prospects last winter, while Texas, in first place in the AL West, pushes for a playoff run.

Astros P Roy Oswalt, rumored to be on the trading block, increases his value with a brilliant one-hitter over the Pirates at Minute Maid Park. Neil Walker’s 1st-inning single is the only hit he allows in the 2 – 0 complete game win, his first shutout since September, 2008. Lance Berkman provides all the offense with a pair of homers.

Ubaldo Jimenez wins his 15th game in his last start before the All-Star Game – which he is expected to start – as the Rockies win, 4 – 2, to complete a three-game sweep of the Cardinals at home. Jimenez is the first pitcher to have 15 wins at the All-Star break since David Wells in 2000; he is only two wins away from the Rockies franchise record of 17 in a season.

Adam Dunn hits three home runs in the Nationals’ 7 – 6 win over San Diego, driving in 5 runs. He is the second player to accomplish the feat since the team moved to Washington, DC, after Alfonso Soriano in 2006. In the 9th, pinch hitter Matt Stairs of the Padres hits a solo homer off Matt Capps, the 20th of his career, tying the record held by Cliff Johnson. However, Capps holds on for his 23rd save. San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez and Washington’s Ian Desmond also go deep on a night when the long ball is king.

The Rays complete a three-game sweep of the injury-riddled Red Sox with a 6 – 4 win at Tropicana Field. David Price earns his American League-leading 12th win, over Tim Wakefield. Evan Longoria homers for the winners, while Matt Garza earns the first save of his career in his first relief appearance in three years. The Rays have now won 7 of 8 after a difficult month of June.

Rookie Buster Posey hits two homers including his first career grand slam in San Francisco’ 15 – 2 romp over Milwaukee. The Giants hit three homers to go up 4 – 0 in the 1st inning and never look back. Tim Lincecumstrikes out 10 over 7 innings for the win.

Alex Rodriguez hits the 21st grand slam of his career and adds a solo homer to bring his career total to 597 long balls. The Yankees defeat the Athletics, 6 – 1. CC Sabathia wins his 7th consecutive start to improve to 11-3 on the year. A-Rod’s slam ties him with Manny Ramirez for second on the all-time list, two behind Yankee legend Lou Gehrig.

The Rockies explode for 9 runs in the bottom of the 9th to beat the stunned Cardinals, 12 – 9. They enter the inning down 9 – 3, but score and score some more, capping the rally with Seth Smith’s three-run walk-off home run off closer Ryan Franklin. Chris Iannetta also hits a three-run homer off Franklin, who gives up 6 runs in a third of an inning. Manuel Corpas (3-5) is the beneficiary of the outburst. It is only the third time in major league history a team has scored nine or more runs in the bottom of the 9th to win and the first time since 1901.

Joey Votto, in competition for the last spot on the National League All-Star team, hits two solo home runs in the Reds’ 8 – 6 win over the Mets. The game features the ejection of Mets manager Jerry Manuel, who complains over a ruling that Scott Rolen is hit by a Mike Pelfrey pitch with the bases loaded in the 5th, scoring the go-ahead run. Manuel argues that the ball tipped Rolen’s bat, but is tossed when he tries to press his case. Drew Stubbs and Corky Miller follow with two-run hits each, then pitcher Travis Wood hits a triple to make it 7 – 1. The Mets counter with 5 runs of their own in the bottom of the frame, but never manage to catch up.