The Rays make a couple of trades, acquiring relief pitcher Dan Jennings from the White Sox for prospect Casey Gillaspie and 1B Lucas Duda from the Mets for P Drew Smith. However, they lose a heartbreaker to the Yankees, 6 – 5, as an apparently inoffensive ground ball by Gary Sanchez finds a hole between SS Adeiny Hechevarria and 2B Tim Beckham to tie the game with two outs in the 9th and Brett Gardner on third base. Gardner then goes yard off Andrew Kittredge in the 11th to end the game.

The Marlins defeat the Rangers, 22 – 10, to set a franchise record for runs; the 32 combined runs are also the most in a game this season. Dee Gordon starts off the game with a homer off Yu Darvish, who gives up 10 runs in less than four innings, while Christian Yelich goes 4-for-5 with a homer and three doubles. For Texas, Adrian Beltre homers and hits two doubles to move with four hits of the 3,000 mark, but he is ejected by umpire Gerry Davis in the 8th for dragging the large plastic mat marking the on-deck circle closer to home plate; his manager, Jeff Banister, is also tossed for coming to his defence.

The Royals, who have been among the hottest teams in the majors since May, also put up a big score, defeating Detroit, 16 – 2, for their 8th straight win. Eric Hosmer leads the charge with 5 hits including a grand slam; he has six RBIs and scores four times.

2017 – In his first plate appearance at home as a member of the Yankees, Todd Frazier hits into one of the rarest plays in baseball: a triple play that actually scores a run. Batting with the bases loaded and none out in the 2nd, he hits a hard grounder to SS Jose Peraza, who steps on second and throws to first for the first two outs. Meanwhile, Didi Gregorius, who was on second base, freezes up between second and third, thinking Peraza may catch the ball on the fly. 1B Joey Votto throws to third and catches Gregorius in a rundown. He is called out for leaving the base line – but not before Matt Holliday has crossed the plate. Because the final out was not the result of a force out, the run stands. The Yankees go on to beat the Reds, 4 – 2.

2017 – There is a wave of pitchers changing teams today. The Twins complete a long-rumored trade for Braves P Jaime Garcia, also getting back-up C Anthony Recker in the process, while sending pitching prospect Huascar Ynoa in return. Meanwhile, the Royals acquire three hurlers from the Padres – Ryan Buchter, Trevor Cahill and Brandon Maurer – in return for Ps Matt Strahm and Travis Wood and minor league IF Esteury Ruiz.

In a doubleheader in the Gulf Coast League, both games end as seven-inning no-hitters tossed by the GCL Nationals against the GCL Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium in West Palm Beach, FL. In the opener, Joan Baez (6 innings) and Jose Jimenez (1 inning) combine on a 4 – 0 shutout, then in the second game Jared Johnson, making only his second professional start, starts off with four hitless innings before handing the ball to Gilberto Chuwho finishes the feat by tossing three perfect frames, completing the 1-0 win.

The Cubs defeat the Cardinals, 5 – 3, thanks to a two-run homer by Willson Contreras off Michael Wacha in the 6th, to clinch a first-place tie with the Brewers in the NL Central. Kyle Schwarber also homers for Chicago, while Randal Grichuk and Paul DeJong hit solo shots off Jose Quintana, who wins his second straight start since being acquired by the Cubs in a mid-season trade. Milwaukee has blown a 5 1/2 game lead since the All-Star break, while the Cubs had not been in first since June 6th.

In a trade of prospects, the Cardinals send P Marco Gonzales to Seattle for OF Tyler O’Neill.

The Diamondbacks start off their game with three consecutive homers off Nationals’ ace Max Scherzer, as David Peralta, A.J. Pollock and Jake Lamb all hit long balls. However, the game is not decided until the 9th, when Brandon Drury hits a bases-loaded single to give Arizona a 6 – 5 win.