The Angels hit four home runs – by Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Chris Iannetta and Mark Trumbo – as they defeat Kansas City, 5 – 4, for their fifth straight win. Joe Blanton wins for the first time this season after seven straight losses, while Robert Coello picks up his first career save after closer Ernesto Frieri falters by giving up two runs in the 9th.

The Indians trounce Boston, 12 – 3, in a game that marks Terry Francona’s return to Fenway Park, where he last managed in 2011. Drew Stubbs, Mark Reynolds and Michael Bourn combine for 9 hits and 8 RBIs to lead the Tribe’s offence.

Cliff Lee flashes his old form in tossing a three-hit shutout as the Phillies defeat the Marlins, 3 – 0. Delmon Young hits a homer in support of what will be the last shutout of Cliff’s career.

Known for his tape-measure blasts, Miguel Cabrera gets some help from Indians CF Michael Bourn in knocking one out in the 8th, as Bourn is about to make the catch at the warning track when the ball bounces off his glove and into the stands for a home run. Detroit wins, 11 – 7. The game is delayed by rain for over an hour in the 5th inning, but Justin Verlander still returns to record the final two outs of the frame, thus qualifying for the win; there is another 48-minute delay in the 8th but the game is played to its conclusion.

Mike Trout of the Angels is the first batter to hit for the cycle this season, driving in 5 runs in a 12 – 0 rout of the Mariners. Josh Hamilton chips in with a homer and a triple, and Howie Kendrick also goes deep in support of Jerome Williams.

On the other end of the success scale, Dusty Robinson goes 0 for 8 with 7 strikeouts for the Stockton Ports of the California League in his team’s 11 – 9 win over the Lake Elsinore Storm. Pitcher Wade Kirkland hits a walk-off two-run homer to end the game. Robinson is the first player to strike out seven times in a game since Russ Laribee did so in the longest game in Organized Baseball history on April 18, 1981; Laribee needed 12 plate appearances over 33 innings to accumulate all of those Ks, however.

Two of the best pitchers so far this season throw complete game three-hitters today. Clayton Kershaw of Los Angeles defeats Milwaukee, 3 – 1, a win that saves manager Don Mattingly’s job at least for now, as the Dodgers have been badly underperforming in spite of splurging on high-salaried players over the past 12 months. Matt Kemp hits his first homer in almost a month and Andre Ethier also homers and adds a triple, but is ejectedby umpire Dan Bellino for arguing a called third strike in the 8th inning. Patrick Corbin also pitches a gem in Coors Field, getting his first career complete game, as Arizona defeats the Rockies, 5 – 1. Corbin is now 7-0 with a 1.44 ERA, which only trails Kershaw’s 1.35 in the National League.

Miguel Cabrera hits three homers for the second time of his career, but it’s not enough as Texas beats Detroit, 11 – 8. Daniel Murphy hits a three-run homer in the 6th inning for Texas, to negate Cabrera’s 4-for-4, 5 RBI night. In his other plate appearance, the Rangers walk Miggy to load the bases, but Prince Fielder follows with a three-run double. For the Rangers, Adrian Beltre goes 4 for 5 with two doubles and Geovany Soto and Lance Berkman both have three hits.

Matt Moore pitches seven innings and picks up the win as Tampa Bay defeats Baltimore, 3 – 1. Moore is now 8-0, and has 9 consecutive wins for a franchise record; the 23-year-old is the youngest lefthander to begin a season 8-0 since Babe Ruth in 1917.

Brandon McCarthy wins his first game since having been hit in the head by a line drive on September 5th last year. He pitches 8 scoreless innings against the Marlins to lead Arizona to a 1 – 0 win. Gerardo Parra leads off the game with a home run off Tom Koehler for the only run.