On the final deadline for signing players selected in this year’s amateur draft, the Nationals agree to a last-minute major league contract worth $9.9 million with first overall pick Bryce Harper. A number of other top draftees sign as well, leaving only 3 of the top 32 picks unsigned.

Shaun Marcum only allows a 7th-inning homer to Conor Jackson in beating the Oakland Athletics, 3 – 1, pitching a one-hitter for the first complete game of his career. He joins Blue Jays teammate Brandon Morrow who pitched a one-hitter on August 8th. All the Jays’ runs come on homers: a solo shot by José Bautista that is originally ruled an inside-the-park homer before the umpires state that it had in fact hit the foul pole, and a two-run shot by Edwin Encarnacion.

Kevin Slowey of the Twins pitches 7 no-hit innings against the Oakland A’s, but is taken out of the game having reached his pitch count limit. Slowey skipped his last start because of elbow tendinitis and manager Ron Gardenhire is being careful with him. The Target Field crowd boos when Jon Rauch comes out to start the 8th, and the second batter Rauch faces, Cliff Pennington, breaks up the no-hit bid with a double. The Twins still come out ahead, 4 – 2, thanks to a three-run homer by Jim Thome in the 7th.

Albert Pujols becomes the first player to hit 30 homers in his first 10 seasons with a 1st-inning shot off Ryan Dempster of the Cubs, but the Cardinals lose, 9 – 7, in spite of scoring 5 runs in the 9th. Pujols has also hit over .300 and driven in over 100 runs each season he has played so far, and is on pace to reach those totals once again. Meanwhile, the Reds complete a three-game sweep of the Marlins with a 2 – 0 win and retake first place by a game over the Cards in the NL Central.

Alex Rodriguez hits three homers and drives in five runs, taking over the American League RBI lead with 97, as the Yankees defeat the Royals, 8 – 3. Phil Hughes is the winner.

The Laredo Broncos of the independent United Baseball League announce that they have signed retired slugger Jose Canseco to serve as a player-coach. The 46-year-old Canseco last played in the Golden Baseball League in 2006; his last sporting endeavor was losing a boxing match to 60-year-old Gary Hogan before a minor league game on July 9th.

Mike McClendon becomes the first rookie in Brewers’ history to retire the first nine batter he faces. The 25 year-old right-hander is perfect in the sixth, seventh, and eighth frames in Milwaukee’s eventual 5-4, ten-inning victory over Colorado at Coors Field.

A day after major league baseball formally approves the sale of the team, the new owners of the Rangers, which includes Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, announce lower prices for concessions, parking, and merchandise. The lowering of prices is one way of showing appreciation to the Texas fans for their loyalty and support, according to sports attorney Chuck Greenberg, another new owner the club.

The first-place Rangers beat the Red Sox, 10 – 9, on an 11th-inning walk-off homer by Nelson Cruz off Tim Wakefield. Boston takes an early 8 – 2 lead with a 7-run 4th inning and hits 5 solo homers in the game – two by J.D. Drew – but Texas chips away methodically at the lead and ties the game at 9-all in the 8th when Josh Hamilton, on second base after his 4th hit of the night, scores on Vladimir Guerrero’s infield single.