2012

The Pirates are guaranteed to finish below .500 for the 20th consecutive season, extending their own record, as they lose to Cincinnati, 4 – 3. The Bucs were 16 games over .500 on August 6th, but for the second consecutive year, a late-season tumble costs them a chance at breaking the hoodoo. They are now 77-82 with three games remaining.

The Nationals, with a 6-4 win in St. Louis, establish a franchise record with their 96th victory of the season. In 1979, playing as the Expos, representing the city of Montreal, the team won 95 games, finishing the season two games behind Pittsburgh.

Michael Morse hits a grand slam in the 1st inning of Washington’s game against St. Louis, but not after some confusion. His fly ball bounces off the right field back wall at Busch Stadium and back onto the field; Morse is tagged out returning to first base when the other runners stop, but a video review reverses the call. Morse then goes back to the batter’s box, takes a mock swing without a bat, and completes a turn around the bases. However, the Cards score three times in the 7th and once in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game, but a two-run double by Kurt Suzuki in the 10th gives the Nats a 6 – 4 win. Their magic number to clinch a division title is down to 1.

Rookie Manny Machado homers off Felix Doubront in the 7th inning to give Baltimore a 4 – 3 win over the Red Sox. With New York’s 3 – 2 loss to Toronto earlier today, the two teams are now tied for first place in the AL East. Toronto’s Ricky Romero gives up two 1st-inning runs, but the Jays come back to give Shawn Hill, who only a week ago was pitching for Team Canada in the 2013 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers in Germany, his first big league win in two years.

2B Darwin Barney of the Cubs makes a wild throw to first base after fielding Justin Upton’s ground ball in the 8th inning of the Cubs’ 8 – 3 loss to the Diamondbacks. The miscue ends Barney’s 141-game errorless streak, tying Placido Polanco’s all-time record for a single season, set in 2007.

Homer Bailey of the Reds pitches the seventh no-hitter of the season, beating the Pirates, 1 – 0. He allows a walk and one batter reaches on an error. The seven no-hitters this year tie the modern record set in 1990 and matched in 1991.

The Astros name Washington third base coach Bo Porter as their new manager, although he will remain with his current team for the remainder of this season and the postseason before assuming his new duties next year.

The Indians fire manager Manny Acta with a week left to go and replace him with coach Sandy Alomar Jr.. Acta was done in by a 5-24 record in August, the worst month in the 112-year history of the franchise.

In the Tigers’ 5-4 victory over Kansas City at Comerica Park, Doug Fister establishes a new American League record when he strikes out nine consecutive batters, one shy of Tom Seaver’s major league mark. The Detroit right-hander whiffs the last batter in the fourth frame, strikes out the side in the next two innings, and continues the streak until Salvador Perez, his first victim, grounds out to the shortstop on a 1-2 pitch to end the seventh inning.