The Red Sox extend Seattle’s losing streak to 14 games, tied for the longest in team history, with a 3 – 1 win at Fenway Park which is also Terry Francona’s 1000th as Sox manager. Josh Beckett is the winner.

The Yankees score 9 runs in the 3rd inning, on their way to an emphatic 17 – 7 win over the Athletics. Nick Swisher hits a three-run homer and Mark Teixeira a grand slam during the big inning.

Nelson Cruz goes 4 for 4 with a homer and collects a career-high 8 RBI in Texas’s 12 – 2 pasting of the Blue Jays. Not all is rosy for the Rangers though, as 3B Adrian Beltre leaves the game with a pulled hamstring in the 5th inning.

Milwaukee’s 5 – 2 win over the Diamondbacks is marred by serious injuries suffered by a player on each team in the 4th inning. First, D-Backs SS Stephen Drew breaks his ankle when he is tagged out sliding at home plate and will be out for the remainder of the season. On the next play, Brewers CF Carlos Gomez makes a terrific diving catch on Ryan Roberts’ short fly ball to end the inning, but breaks his collarbone and will also be out a long stretch. Ryan Braun hits a 1st-inning homer for the Brewers, but an apparent second long ball in the 8th is taken away when instant replay shows it was a foul ball. The game then goes into extra innings and Milwaukee scores three runs in the top of the 10th to break the 2 – 2 tie. Arizona reliever Ryan Cook, making his debut, receives a rough welcome to the majors, allowing all four batters he faces to reach base and ending up with the loss.

After 12 straight wins, the Rangers take an early 8 – 3 lead, but the Angels rally for 6 runs in the 6th to win, 9 – 8. Howie Kendrick drives in 4 runs for the Halos.

The Tigers send a couple of Class A players to Kansas City in return for 3B Wilson Betemit, who has become redundant since top prospect Mike Moustakas was called up last month. Brandon Inge, Detroit’s starter at 3B, is hitting only .177.

Hideki Matsui, leading off the sixth inning in Oakland’s 7-5 victory in Detroit, hits his 500th career home run. The Japanese native went yard 332 times for the Yomiuri Giants before collecting another 168 round-trippers since 2003 playing with the Yankees, Angels, and A’s.

The Pirates are in first place on merit in the NL Central, as their 1 – 0 shutout of one of their chief rivals, the Cincinnati Reds, attests. James McDonald pitches 6 1/3 scoreless innings, then Joe Beimel bails him out of a bases-loaded jam by striking out Jay Bruce to end the 7th inning; two other relievers finish the game. The Pirates manage just four hits, but make Josh Harrison’s 1st-inning run stand up.

The Giants get some veteran help, acquiring 2B Jeff Keppinger from the Astros for minor league pitchers Henry Sosa and Jason Stoffel. Freddy Sanchez and his replacement Bill Hall are both on the disabled list for the Giants, with Sanchez out for the season.

It takes a hot and humid evening in Chicago to slow down Phillies ace Roy Halladay. Making his first start since starting the All-Star Game, Doc leaves the game with none out in the 5th, trailing 3 – 1, weakened by the weather conditions at Wrigley Field. It is his shortest outing as a Philly. He is charged with his team’s 6 – 1 loss; his opponent, Rodrigo Lopez, fares much better, going 6 2/3 innings to earn the win. Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena homer for the Cubs.