A number of big names change teams on the final day to be eligible for the postseason. The Yankees acquire OF Andrew McCutchen from the Giants and SS Adeiny Hechavarria from Pittsburgh; the Dodgers acquire a couple of veterans with World Series experience in RP Ryan Madson and 3B/1B David Freese; the Indians bet that currently injured 3B Josh Donaldson will be healthy enough to contribute in the postseason by getting him from the Blue Jays; and the Brewers add three players in P Gio Gonzalez, OF Curtis Granderson and P Xavier Cedeno.

2018 – Christian Yelich has a career day, going 6-for-6 and hitting for the cycle, and all of his contributions are needed as the Brewers squeak past the Reds, 13 – 12, in 10 innings. Milwaukee takes the lead four different times in the game, the last when Jesus Aguilar hits a go-ahead homer off Raisel Iglesias in the 10th, and the Brewers add another run after that, but the Reds mount one last charge with a solo homer by Brandon Dixon before Jeremy Jeffress retires the next three batters to end the wild game that takes 4 hours and 16 minutes to play. For the Reds, oe of the key hits comes in the 6th with reliever Michael Lorenzen batting against Taylor Williams. With two strikes, he is sent to the ground trying to check a bunt on an inside pitch, but the ball glances off his bat; Milwaukee argues that he was bunting and should be out on strikes, but umpire Tony Randazzo rules otherwise, allowing the at-bat to continue; Lorenzen then hits a three-run homer on the next pitch.

Continuing his torrid hitting since June, the Cardinals’ Matt Carpenter ties a club record that dates back to Hall of Famer Joe Medwick in 1937 by hitting four doubles in a 12 – 3 win over the Rockies. He leads off the game with a two-base hit off Tyler Anderson and adds another before the end of the inning as the Cards score 6 runs with two outs. P Austin Gomber contributes with a two-run single in the inning on his way to notching the win.

2018 – Kendrys Morales homers in his sixth straight game to spark a comeback for the Blue Jays, who trail the Phillies, 5 – 0 at that point in the 4th. But a two-run homer by Billy McKinney in the 7th brings the Jays to within one run, then Morales sparks the winning rally in the 8th with a lead-off walk against Seranthony Dominguez. A few batters later, Aledmys Diaz hits a bases-clearing double to put Toronto ahead, 8 – 6, and Ken Giles records his 18th save in as many opportunities. Morales will homer again tomorrow, to bring his streak to seven game, one shy of the major league record.

The Nationals have apparently thrown in the towel on a season in which they were prohibitive preseason favorites to win a third straight division title. Today, playing below .500, they dispatch two veterans, 2B Daniel Murphy, who heads to the Cubs in return for a minor leaguer, and 1B Matt Adams, who returns to the Cardinals after being claimed off waivers. They also place their highest-profile player, OF Bryce Harper, on waivers, but pull him back when the Dodgers claim him but are only willing to pay his remaining salary and not offer any players in return.

2018 – Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen returns to the mound after missing two weeks because of an irregular heartbeat, but he allows a pair of 9th-inning homers to Jedd Gyorko and Matt Carpenter as Los Angeles loses 5 – 3 to St. Louis with the two clubs in a tight race for a wild card spot.

2018 – The Mets defeat the Phillies, 8 – 2, in the second edition of the annual MLB Little League Classic staged to coincide with the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. Amed Rosario has 3 hits and 3 RBIs, with Jeff McNeil adding a two-run single to back the pitching of Jason Vargas.

2018 – With a 7 – 1 win over their rivals, the Athletics come into a tie with the Astros for the lead in the AL West division. As late as July 10th, the Astros still had a ten-game lead, and it seemed the best the A’s could hope for was to catch the second-place Mariners for the second wild card spot. In today’s game, a re-born Trevor Cahill holds the defending World Champions to 1 hit over 7 innings and his teammates tie a club record with 8 doubles.

2018 – The Cubs tie a major league record by turning seven double plays in a 1 – 0 win over the Pirates. Fittingly, the game ends when David Freese hits a grounder to 3B David Bote who starts the record-tying twin killing. They are the third team to achieve the feat in a 9-inning game.

Just two weeks after suffering a 25 – 4 loss, the worst in team history, the Mets turn around and defeat the Phillies, 24 – 4, in the first game of a doubleheader, setting team records for runs and hits (25). Coming on the back of a 16 – 5 win over the Orioles the day before, the win also marks the first time they score at least 15 runs in back-to-back games. Jose Bautista, who does not even start the game, leads the offense with a grand slam and 7 RBIs. However, the Mets return to form in the nitecap, losing 9 – 6.