The Red Sox use a power outburst from their scrubs to defeat the surprising first-place Orioles, 6 – 5, and reach .500 for the first time this year. Back-up C Kelly Shoppach and OFs Scott Podsednik and Daniel Nava, both recently called up from the minors because of a rash of injuries, all homer from the bottom three spots in the starting line-up.

In spite of a rash of injuries, the Dodgers continue to win, beating Arizona, 8 – 7, for their 6th straight win. Trailing 6 – 1 entering the 7th, they put up 5 runs to tie the game, then come back from another run down in the 9th on Ivan De Jesus’s two-out, two-run double off closer J.J. Putz.

P Mike Leake hits his first career homer, Drew Stubbs hits a pair, and Zack Cozart adds a fourth solo shot off Mike Minor to power the Reds to a 4 – 1 win over the Braves. Juan Francisco also homers against his former teammates to account for the game’s other run, as Leake picks up his first win after starting the year 0-5. One supremely lucky fan, Caleb Lloyd, sitting in the right field bleachers at Great American Ballpark, catches Leake’s home run ball, and then catches Cozart’s as well when he goes yard back-to-back, to become an instant folk hero. Stubbs also follows with a homer, but that ball eludes the great Caleb’s grasp.

Today, youth beats experience, when Giancarlo Stanton tees off against ageless Jamie Moyer and crushes one of his pitches into the left-field scoreboard for a grand slam at Marlins Park, temporarily disabling part of the display. Stanton’s mighty blast leads Miami to a 7 – 4 win over Colorado.

Cincinnati fan Caleb Lloyd catches both home run balls hit in consecutive at-bats, just three pitches apart, by starter Mike Leake and shortstop Zack Cozart during the fourth inning of the Reds’ 4-1 victory over Atlanta at Great American Ball Park. The 20 year-old Thomas More College junior keeps neither as he gives the infielder’s ball to Nick Rise, a friend who had helped get the tickets to the game, and, at the request of the Reds, gives the pitcher, who hit his first career round-tripper, the other in exchange for a tour of the Reds’ clubhouse and an autographed bat and ball signed by the grateful hurler.

With his bench depleted with two outs in the 13th inning, Padres manager Bud Black turns to P Clayton Richard to pinch-hit against the Angels’ David Pauley. Breaking out of an 0-for-16 slump for the season, Richard singles, then scores from first base when LF Howie Kendrick bobbles Will Venable’s hit to give San Diego a 3 – 2 win. Kendrick is also playing in an unfamiliar role, having been moved from his usual 2B after injuries to OFs Vernon Wells and Ryan Langerhans.

Max Scherzer strikes out 15 batters in 7 innings to lead the Tigers to a 4 – 3 win over the Pirates. The strikeouts are one shy of the club record of 16, held by Mickey Lolich, and represent the highest total in the major leagues so far this season.

Babe Ruth’s circa 1920 jersey sells to an undisclosed buyer for $4,415,658, the largest amount ever paid for a piece of sports memorabilia, according to auctionreport.com. The woolen uniform top was probably worn by the Babe during his first season with the Yankees after being traded by Red Sox’s owner Harry Frazee.

Brandon Morrow pitches a three-hit shutout for the Blue Jays, who beat the Mets, 2 – 0. Morrow is now 5-2 with a pair of shutouts and a 2.63 ERA after signing a long-term contract in the off-season.