On the day he would have celebrated his 69th birthday, Skip Caray’s public tribute is attended by over a thousand fans at Turner Field. Known for his witty and sometimes sarcastic style, the Braves’ longtime nationally acclaimed broadcaster, who started broadcasting games for Atlanta in 1976, died on August 3.

2008 – Scott Feldman has a day he would like to forget, becoming the first pitcher in 90 years and 9 days to allow 12 runs without losing as the Rangers eventually do fall, 19 – 17, to the Red Sox. Gene Packard was the last hurler to be so, um, lucky. David Ortiz hits two three-run homers in the 1st inning and scores four times on the day while Kevin Youkilis drives in 5 on two home runs.

A very pleasantly surprised Adam Dunn is traded by the Reds to the Diamondbacks for minor league right-hander Dallas Buck and two players to be named. In the midst of a losing season, Cincinnati continues unloading its marquee players with Dunn, the major league leader in home runs (tie), and future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr. being exchanged for prospects as the team begins a rebuilding phase.

Carlos Quentin of the White Sox gets plunked by Josh Beckett; he has now been hit by pitch in five games in a row, the first player since 1920 to accomplish that painful feat. Quentin has been hit by pitches 19 times so far this season.

2008 – The Tampa Bay Rays set a new franchise record for wins; never having topped 70 in any of 10 prior seasons, the Rays win their 71st game before mid-August to go to 71-46. They top the Mariners, 11 – 3, with three-run homers by Willy Aybar and Shawn Riggans. Edwin Jackson gets the victory. The Rays will finish the year with 97 wins and represent the American League in the World Series.

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration commemorating the Giants’ move to San Francisco, the team honors their greatest outfielders. Barry Bonds, thought not to be in attendance for the event, receives a standing ovation accompanied by a loud approval from the surprised fans when his name is announced and takes part of the ceremony telling the crowd, “It feels awful to me not to be in uniform and the Dodgers are right here”.

Jeff Karstens, in his second start for the Pirates, retires the first 23 batters he faces before Chris Young doubles in the 8th. Karstens settles for a two-hit shutout and has not allowed a run in his first 15 innings since being acquired by Pittsburgh. Karstens aids his own cause with his first two career hits, both off Randy Johnson.

The Mariners stun the Twins with a 10-run seventh inning, coming back from a 6-0 deficit in an eventual 11-6 victory at Safeco Field. With six runs driven in, Raul Ibanez, who hits a grand slam and a two-run single in the frame, establishes a club record for RBIs in one inning, one more than Ken Griffey Jr.’s mark set in 1999.

At the start of the rain delay during the Astros and Cubs game at Wrigley Field, fans are advised to take cover in the concourse due to a tornado warning being issued by the National Weather Service for downtown Chicago. The game resumes in 2 hours, 45 minutes, but approximately an hour later more thunder and lightning and another 39-minute stoppage cause the contest to be called in the bottom of the eighth, with Houston credited with a 2-0 rain-shortened victory.