2017 – The American League wins the 2017 All-Star Game, played at Marlins Park in Miami, FL, 2 – 1, in 10 innings over the National League. Miguel Sano gives the AL the lead with a bloop single to right scoring Jonathan Schoop with two outs in the 5th, but Yadier Molina ties it with a solo homer to the opposite field off Ervin Santana in the 6th. Robinson Cano leads off the 10th by parking Wade Davis’ first pitch beyond the right-field fence, then Andrew Miller records the last three outs for the save. Cano is named winner of the Ted Williams Award as the game’s MVP. The two leagues are now tied with 43 wins apiece since the first mid-summer classic was played in 1933, with two ties.

The Astros conclude an outstanding first half by demolishing the Blue Jays, 19 – 1, for their 60th win of the year, most in the American League. Carlos Correa homers twice and drives in 5 runs, while José Altuve, Yuli Gurrieland Evan Gattis also go deep in support of Brad Peacock’s pitching. The Blue Jays are one out away from suffering the worst shutout loss in their history when Ezequiel Carrera goes deep to save a modicum of pride.

Jon Lester has the worst start of his career for the Cubs as he allows 10 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks in only two-thirds of an inning as the Pirates jump to a 10 – 0 lead in the 1st inning, on their way to a 14 – 3 win. Francisco Cervelli has the key hit, a grand slam as the Cubs finish the first half two games below .500, one year after ending their long World Seriesdrought.

Results of the Final Man Vote for the 2017 All-Star Game are revealed, with 3B Justin Turner of the Dodgers and Mike Moustakas of the Royals the winners. Turner establishes a new record with 20.8 million votes. Ironically, after fans had failed to elect any Dodgers players in the regular All-Star ballot, reliever Kenley Jansen had chastized L.A. supporters for failing to properly support the team’s players at the ballot box; it seems his message was heard.

With two hits in a 4 – 3 loss to the Cardinals, Marlins OF Ichiro Suzuki becomes the all-time leader in the category for players born outside the United States with 3,054, passing Rod Carew.

At Busch Stadium, Ichiro Suzuki becomes the all-time major league hits leader for foreign-born players when he collects an eighth-inning single in the Marlins 4-3 loss to the Cardinals. The Miami right fielder’s 3,054th hit surpasses Rod Carew, who hails from Panama.

Red Sox rookie LF Andrew Benintendi has a great day, collecting five hits, of which two are homers, and driving in six runs in an 11 – 4 win over the Texas Rangers. He also makes a great catch in the outfield in support of David Price’s pitching. He is the first rookie in Red Sox history to have two five-hit games in a season, having done so previously on April 23rd.

On July 3, 2017 The Cincinnati Enquirer reveals that Cuban-born umpire Angel Hernandez has sued Major League Baseball before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging racial discrimination that has resulted in his being passed over for prestigious postseason assignments and for promotion to the rank of crew chief. He points specifically to the appointment of Joe Torre, with whom he had run-ins when he was a…