Pedro Alvarez drives in all of the Pirates’ runs with a single, a double and a homer to lead the Bucs to a 5 – 3 win over the Reds, as the team continues to keep pace with St. Louis and Cincinnati in the highly competitive NL Central. The three division rivals have the three best records in the major leagues at this point of the season.

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On June 20, Pedro Alvarez drives in all of the Pirates’ runs with a single, a double and a homer to lead the Bucs to a 5 – 3 win over the Reds, as the team continues to keep pace with St. Louis and Cincinnati in the highly competitive NL Central. The three division rivals have the three best records in the…

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks engage in a beanball war. The hostilities start when D-Backs pitcher Ian Kennedy hits super rookie Yasiel Puig in the head with a fastball in the 6th inning. The ball hits his nose, and he stays on the ground for a few minutes but stays in the game; Andre Ethier follows with a game-tying two-run homer. In the top of the 7th, Dodgers P Zack Greinke hits the first batter, Miguel Montero, in the back, prompting both benches to empty, although only stares are exchanged. Then, in the bottom of the inning, Kennedy throws a pitch near Greinke’s head, and pandemonium breaks out, with both benches and bullpens emptying again, and players and even coaches going at each other. When order is restored, Puig and coach Mark McGwire are ejected for the Dodgers, and manager Kirk Gibson and coach Turner Ward for the D-Backs. Incidentally, Los Angeles wins the game, 5 – 3. Major League Baseball will hand out 8 suspensions and 12 fines as a result of the events, with Kennedy getting a 10-game suspension and Eric Hinske of the D-Backs getting five; both managers are suspended for one game, and two for the two coaches.

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On June 11, 2013 The Dodgers and Diamondbacks engage in a beanball war. The hostilities start when D-Backs pitcher Ian Kennedy hits super rookie Yasiel Puig in the head with a fastball in the 6th inning. The ball hits his nose, and he stays on the ground for a few minutes but stays in the game; Andre Ethier follows with a game-tying two-run homer. In the top of the…

For only the third time ever, the reigning Cy Young Award winners face off. David Price and R.A. Dickey get no-decisions as the Rays top the Blue Jays, 5 – 4. The other match-ups had been Orel Hershiser vs. Frank Viola in 1989 and Tom Glavine vs. Roger Clemens in 1999.

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For only the third time ever, the reigning Cy Young Award winners face off. David Price and R.A. Dickey get no-decisions as the Rays top the Blue Jays, 5 – 4. The other match-ups had been Orel Hershiser vs. Frank Viola in 1989 and Tom Glavine vs. Roger Clemens in 1999.

Matt Harvey pitches near perfect game with a bloody nose

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The legend of Matt Harvey keeps growing. The Mets’ sophomore starter is perfect against the White Sox before allowing a two-out single to Alex Rios in the 7th. He is removed after allowing only that hit through 9 innings, but with the game still scoreless, having fanned a career-high 12 opponents. Pinch-hitter Mike Baxter lines an RBI single off Nate Jones in the 10th for a 1 – 0 Mets victory, credited to reliever Bobby Parnell. It is the second time Harvey has taken a no-hitter into the 7th inning this year and he is 4-0 with a 1.28 ERA. It is just the third game in history in which a team allows only one baserunner in an extra-inning game according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Boston Red Sox play first game after Marathon Bombings

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2013 – The Red Sox play their first home game since the tragic events at the Boston Marathon, defeating Kansas City, 4 – 3. David Ortiz, playing his first game of the year, gives a rousing speech thanking municipal authorities and police before the game. Ortiz sums up the mood of the city when he tells the capacity crowd, “This jersey that we wear today, it doesn’t say Red Sox. It says Boston. This is our f’***ng city, and nobody’s going to dictate our freedom. Stay Strong.” Neil Diamond comes in person to sing “Sweet Caroline” in the 8th inning. Daniel Nava has the key blow, a three-run homer in the bottom of the 8th. The Red Sox would hang a uniform in the club house for the remainder of the season “617” was the number and Boston Strong was the name. They used this energy and theme to propel them to the 2013 World title.

The Tigers bring back maligned closer Jose Valverde with a minor league contract, as neither of their back-up plans going into the season – rookie Bruce Rondon and a closer-by-committee led by Phil Coke – seems to be working.

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The Tigers bring back maligned closer Jose Valverde with a minor league contract, as neither of their back-up plans going into the season – rookie Bruce Rondon and a closer-by-committee led by Phil Coke – seems to be working.

At the 2012-2013 Cuban All-Star Game, the West rolls in a 13-9 slugfest, with 3 runs and 3 RBI from Yasmani Tomás and 3 runs from José Miguel Fernández to overcome a two-homer, three-RBI day from Yoelvis Fiss. Carlos Juan Viera allows 7 runs in the last 1 1/3 innings to take the loss for the East.

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At the 2012-2013 Cuban All-Star Game, the West rolls in a 13-9 slugfest, with 3 runs and 3 RBI from Yasmani Tomás and 3 runs from José Miguel Fernández to overcome a two-homer, three-RBI day from Yoelvis Fiss. Carlos Juan Viera allows 7 runs in the last 1 1/3 innings to take the loss for the East.

The Miami New Times reports that the names of at least seven major leaguers have turned up in an investigation of a recently closed clinic in Coral Gables, FL, Biogenesis Laboratories

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The Miami New Times reports that the names of at least seven major leaguers have turned up in an investigation of a recently closed clinic in Coral Gables, FL, Biogenesis Laboratories, which is suspected to have dealt in performance-enhancing drugs. Most prominent among those named is Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez. Three of those named – Bartolo Colon, Melky Cabrera and Yasmani Grandal – were suspended by Major League Baseball for testing positive for banned substances during the past year, lending additional credence to the report.

2013 – The National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues pay tribute to a local icon. On the day after Stan Musial’s funeral, every player on the team comes out for the warm-up skate before its game wearing jersey number 6, with Musial’s name in place of their own. The Montreal Canadiens had paid a similar tribute to Gary Carter last year, with everyone wearing his number 8 in the warm-up.

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2013 – The National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues pay tribute to a local icon. On the day after Stan Musial’s funeral, every player on the team comes out for the warm-up skate before its game wearing jersey number 6, with Musial’s name in place of their own. The Montreal Canadiens had paid a similar tribute to Gary Carter last year, with everyone wearing his number 8 in the warm-up.