The White Sox’s hot streak has not been affected by the three-day layoff, as they beat one of their chief rivals in the AL Central, the Minnesota Twins, 8 – 7. John Danks gives up 6 runs with 2 outs in the 2nd inning, but the Sox grind back into the lead. J.J. Putz makes his 23rd straight scoreless appearance in relief in the Pale Hose’s 9th straight win.

Mat Latos’s excellent season is in jeopardy as he goes on the disabled list for an unusual reason. The Padres righthander, who has 10 wins this year, strained a muscle in his left side while attempting to hold back a sneeze last week.

The Blue Jays and Braves trade shortstops, with Alex Gonzalez going from Toronto to Atlanta along with minor leaguers Tim Collins and Tyler Pastornicky, in return for Yunel Escobarand pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes. Escobar is hitting .238 with little power for the first-place Braves, while Gonzalez has shown unexpected pop with the Jays, hitting .259 with 17 homers and 50 RBI.

George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees since 1973, passes away from a heart attack at his home in Tampa, FL. Steinbrenner restored the Yankees to greatness during his ownership, spent lavishly on free agents, fired managers and front office personnel at a sometimes dizzying pace, but saw the team win seven World Series titles. He had relinquished the team’s operations to his son Hal Steinbrenner as his health deteriorated badly in 2008.

The National League wins the 2010 All-Star Game, played at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, 3 – 1, for its first win since 1996. MVP Brian McCann drives in all three runs with a bases-loaded double off Matt Thornton in the 7th. In a year in which pitchers have grabbed most of the headlines, the game is true to form, as pitchers dominate. The American League’s only score comes on a sacrifice fly by Robinson Cano.

C Bryce Harper of the College of Southern Nevada, the top pick in the 2010 amateur draft, wins this year’s Golden Spikes Award as the best collegiate baseball player in the United States. He is only the second player from a junior college to win the award since its creation in 1978, after Alex Fernandez in 1990.

Veteran slugger David Ortiz wins the All-Star Game’s Home Run Derby with a dazzling performance, lining ball after ball into the right field stands at Angel Stadium, for a total of 32 long balls – 11 of them in the final round, where he defeats fellow Dominican Hanley Ramirez. He dedicates his performance to his friend, pitcher Jose Lima, who passed away suddenly a few weeks earlier.

18-year-old Mike Trout, the youngest player in the game, hits a double and single and fellow Angels prospect Hank Conger hits a three-run homer to lead the United States to a 9 – 1 victory over the World team at the 2010 Futures Game in Anaheim. Eric Hosmer collects four hits for the winners, while Desmond Jennings scores three runs, but it is Conger who receives the Larry Doby Award as MVP of the game.

Philadelphia wins 1 – 0 over the Reds to complete a four-game sweep. It is the first time since 1913 that the Phils have recorded consecutive 1 – 0 victories. Cole Hamels pitches scoreless ball into the 8th inning and relievers J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge record the last four outs of the game. Jimmy Rollins becomes the first National Leaguer since Roger Maris in 1968 to drive in the only run in consecutive 1 – 0 wins.