The Blue Jays overtake the Yankees for first place in the AL East after registering their 10th straight win, 10 – 3 over the A’s combined with the Yankees’ 2 – 1 loss to Cleveland, their fifth in a row. Toronto uses the home run once again, with three-run blasts from Chris Colabello and Justin Smoak in support of R.A. Dickey’s fourth straight winning start. The Jays have homered in 23 of 24 games since the All-Star break.

Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin announces he is stepping down from his position, although he will continue to hold the fort while owner Mark Attanasio searches for a successor. The Brewers reached the postseason twice during Melvin’s 13-year tenure, breaking a dry spell of 26 years, but they have struggled badly this year.

The Blue Jays, Rays, Marlins, Mets, Indians, Cubs, Royals, White Sox, Twins, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Padres, Dodgers, and Giants all win, making it the first time in the live ball era that every contest is won by the home team in a full slate of games. The unique occurrence became a reality when the last two completed games end in extra innings, with the host clubs enjoying a walk-off victory.

The Blue Jays complete a three-game sweep of the Yankees with a 2 – 0 shutout at New Yankee Stadium, to move within 1 1/2 game of first place in the AL East. Marco Estrada pitches 6 1/3 innings while Josh Donaldsonand Jose Bautista hit solo homers off Masahiro Tanaka. The Yankees score one run over the three games, and are shut out in back-to-back games for the first time since May 12-13, 1999, ending a major league record streak of 2,665 games between the two instances.

The Reds attempt to revisit Merkle’s Boner, unsuccessfully. In the 10th inning of a 3 – 3 game, the Diamondbacks load the bases, then PH Chris Owings hits a ball over CF Billy Hamilton’s head, driving in the winning run. But, while Arizona is celebrating its walk-off win, the Reds notice that neither the runner on first base nor the one on second have touched the next base, and tag both bases, appealing to the umpires to declare them out on an inning-ending double play. However, while the Reds are right about the runners not touching their base, the umpires rule that it does not matter, as with one out, only the fact that the runner touched home and the batter made it to first base are relevant. In 1908, Fred Merkle had been called out for failing to touch second base on a similar play, upsetting a close pennant race, but the rules pertaining to such a situation have been clarified since.

At Safeco Field, Jamie Moyer, the winningest pitcher in Mariners’ history, becomes the ninth member of the team’s Hall of Fame. During his 11 seasons with Seattle, the left-hander compiled a record of 145-87 (.625), leading the franchise in wins, innings pitched (2,093), and starts (323).

There are a couple of trades completed today, in spite of the trading deadline having passed a week ago: the Indians send veteran OFs Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher to the Braves in return for IF Chris Johnson, and the Red Sox send 1B Mike Napoli back to Texas for a player to be named later.

With the Tigers having a very disappointing season, owner Mike Ilitch fires General Manager Dave Dombrowski after 14 seasons, replacing him with Al Avila, the father of catcher Alex Avila.

Mike Hessman breaks the minor league baseball home run record with the 433rd round-tripper of his nearly 19-year career, a grand slam against the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs in the Mudhens’ 10-8 extra-inning International League (AAA) loss at Toledo’s Fifth Third Field. The 37 year-old first baseman, who played parts of five seasons with the Braves, Tigers, and Mets, surpasses Buzz Arlett, who established the mark in 1936 while playing for the Minneapolis Millers.

Adrian Beltre hits for the cycle for the third time in his career when he gets all four hits by the end of the 5th inning in the Rangers’ 12 – 9 win over the Astros. The last player to hit three cycles was Babe Herman, who hit his third in 1933; Bob Meusel and John Reilly are the only other members of this exclusive club.