Heritage Toronto commemorates the spot where Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run with a plaque at Canada’s Hanlan’s Point. The historic home run, the only one the Bambino would hit as a minor leaguer, came on September 5, 1914, as the visiting Providence Grays’ hurler goes deep against the Maple Leafs in the International League contest.

White Sox DH Jim Thome, having accomplished the feat with the Indians and Phillies, becomes only the second big leaguer in baseball history to hit 40 home runs with three different teams when he goes deep in an 8-2 loss to Detroit at U.S. Cellular Field. Alex Rodriguez also reached the milestone with the Mariners, Rangers, and Yankees.

In front of an enthusiastic Shea Stadium crowd of 46,729, the Mets capture the NL East title for the first time since 1988 by beating the Marlins, 4-0. The contest marks team’s fifth attempt to clinch the division, but a road loss in Florida and being swept in Pittsburgh brought the champagne celebration home to the Big Apple.

Mariners’ outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, in a 7-4 loss to the Royals in Kansas City, singles in his first two at-bats, extending his own major league record for consecutive 200-hit seasons to begin a career to six. The Japanese native also steals his 33rd consecutive base, which is an American League single-season record.

The Red Sox, for the first time in thirty years, sweep a doubleheader from the Yankees in New York. Boston hadn’t beaten their arch-rivals twice in one day since July 31, 1976, and Independence Day of 1973 was the last time they accomplished the feat at Yankee Stadium.

Angels center fielder Chone Figgins, in a 12-6 loss to the Rangers in Texas, triples in the ninth inning to become the fifth player in franchise history to hit for the cycle. ‘Figgy’ joins Jeff DaVanon (2004), Dave Winfield (1991), Dan Ford (1979), and Jim Fregosi (1964, 1968) to accomplish the feat for the Halos.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston’s grand reopening ceremony for its Roxbury facility, which underwent a $7-million renovation, has some community leaders upset with the building’s new name to be unveiled at the event. Although the previous owner of the Red Sox created the charitable foundation that donated $3 million used to renovate the run-down club, some in the minority neighborhood believe it would be wrong to name the clubhouse after Tom Yawkey because his policies were racially motivated, as evidenced by passing up an opportunity to get Jackie Robinson, and the team becoming the last to integrate in the major leagues.

For the ninth consecutive season, the Devil Rays lose 90-plus games. The 1936-45 Phillies are the only other team in big league history to accomplish the infamous feat.

With a single in the first inning, a double in the second, and triple in the fourth, Gary Matthews blasts a homer in the sixth to complete the cycle in order in his first four at bats. The Texas center fielder, son of a former major leaguer, is only the third Ranger player to hit for the cycle, with Oddibe McDowell (1985) and Mark Teixeira (2004) being the others.