At Yankee Stadium, a trio of Angels hit three-run home runs as the team blasts the Bronx Bombers, 12-6. The homers, all hit by LA’s outfielders, Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero, and Juan Rivera, account for nine of the dozen runs scored as the club improves its record to 68-40, the best in baseball.

In a surprise trading-deadline deal, the Reds send future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. to the White Sox in exchange for right-hander Nick Masset and minor league infield prospect Danny Richar. The All-Star outfielder, who had to approve the move to Chicago, is completing his final season of a nine-year contract and didn’t expect Cincinnati to pick up the $16.5 million club option for 2009.

In a three-team swap, Boston finally accomplishes the much-anticipated departure of Manny Ramirez from Beantown, trading the unhappy outfielder to the Dodgers. Former Pirates player Jason Bay will now roam left field for the Red Sox, with Pittsburgh receiving outfielder Brandon Moss and pitcher Craig Hansen from Boston as well as getting third baseman Andy LaRoche and right-hander Bryan Morris from Los Angeles to complete the last-minute trading deadline deal.

Right before the trading deadline, several major deals go through. The White Sox acquire Ken Griffey Jr., 6th all-time on the home run leaderboard with 608, from the Reds in exchange for pitcher Nick Masset and infielder Danny Richar. Less than a minute before the deadline, a three-way trade involves another 500-homer man. Manny Ramirez gets sent by the Red Sox to the Dodgers along with $7 million. The Red Sox pick up All-Star LF Jason Bay from the Pirates. Pittsburgh, in turn, gets 3B Andy LaRoche and P Bryan Morris from Los Angeles and OF Brandon Moss and P Craig Hansen from Boston. Andy LaRoche joins brother Adam LaRoche in the Pirates infield.

In the lesser deals of the day, the Marlins get Arthur Rhodes from the Mariners for minor league pitcher Gaby Hernandez and the Yankees send SS Alberto Gonzalez to the Nationals for minor league pitcher Jhonny Nunez.

The Indians lose, 14 – 12, to the Tigers in Detroit’s first game without Rodriguez, an 11-inning affair. The star catcher is Cleveland’s Kelly Shoppach, who ties the major league record with 5 extra-base hits in the game. Shoppach doubles three times, homers twice, walks once and is retired once; he scores four and drives in three.

The Yankees, in need of a catcher due to Jorge Posada’s season-ending surgery, obtain 13-time Gold Glove winner Ivan Rodriguez from the Tigers in exchange for reliever Kyle Farnsworth. The 36 year-old All-Star backstop waives his no-trade clause to go to New York, which completes the deal a day before the trading deadline.

The Royals, with a 4-3 victory at McAfee Coliseum, sweep the A’s in Oakland for the first time in two decades. The last time Kansas City broke out the broom in O-town was in June of 1988.

With a tip of his helmet for the ovation from the Rangers fans, Ichiro Suzuki acknowledges his achievement of reaching 3,000 hits in professional baseball. The 34 year-old Mariners outfielder had collected 1,278 hits with the Orix Blue Wave in Japan’s Pacific League, and his first-inning single off Texas right-hander Luis Mendoza was his 1,722nd hit with Seattle during eight seasons with the team.

With a tip of his helmet for the ovation from the Rangers fans, Ichiro Suzuki acknowledges his achievement of reaching 3,000 hits in professional baseball. The 34 year-old Mariners outfielder had collected 1,278 hits with the Orix Blue Wave in Japan’s Pacific League, and his first-inning single off Texas right-hander Luis Mendoza was his 1,722nd hit with Seattle during eight seasons with the team.