For the second time this season, Yu Darvish of the Rangers flirts with a perfect game against the Astros. He retires the first 17 batters and he and C A.J. Pierzynski think they have struck out Jonathan Villar looking to end the 6th inning, but umpire Ron Kulpa calls the pitch a ball and Villar eventually draws a walk to break up the perfecto. An incensed Pierzynski tells the umpire what he thinks of his call and is ejected. Darvish allows his first and only hit, a solo homer by Carlos Corporan, with one out in the 8th. He strikes out a career-high 15 batters in 8 innings in the 2 – 1 win, with Joe Nathan pitching a hitless 9th for the save. Darvish’s bid for a perfect game in his first start of the season, on April 2nd, was foiled by Astro Marwin Gonzalez’s two-out single in the 9th. The Rangers have now won 13 of their last 14 games.

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For the second time this season, Yu Darvish of the Rangers flirts with a perfect game against the Astros. He retires the first 17 batters and he and C A.J. Pierzynski think they have struck out Jonathan Villar looking to end the 6th inning, but umpire Ron Kulpa calls the pitch a ball and Villar eventually draws a walk to break up the perfecto. An incensed Pierzynski tells the umpire what he thinks of his call and is ejected. Darvish allows his first and only hit, a solo homer by Carlos Corporan, with one out in the 8th. He strikes out a career-high 15 batters in 8 innings in the 2 – 1 win, with Joe Nathan pitching a hitless 9th for the save. Darvish’s bid for a perfect game in his first start of the season, on April 2nd, was foiled by Astro Marwin Gonzalez’s two-out single in the 9th. The Rangers have now won 13 of their last 14 games.

After losing a shutout bid with one out in the 9th inning in his first career start on August 6th, the Twins’ Andrew Albers reaches the mark in his second start, tossing a two-hitter against the Indians for a 3 – 0 win. The Twins’ runs come courtesy of a solo homer by Brian Dozier and a two-run shot by Trevor Plouffe both against Danny Salazar.

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After losing a shutout bid with one out in the 9th inning in his first career start on August 6th, the Twins’ Andrew Albers reaches the mark in his second start, tossing a two-hitter against the Indians for a 3 – 0 win. The Twins’ runs come courtesy of a solo homer by Brian Dozier and a two-run shot by Trevor Plouffe both against Danny Salazar.

The Pirates score 9 runs in the 4th to beat San Diego, 11 – 5. Before the explosion, the Bucs were trailing, 5 – 1, and had lost their previous three games, putting fans in fear of a repeat of last year’s second-half swoon that saw them fall below .500 yet again. Clint Barmes hits a grand slam in the big inning, atoning for two earlier errors, as Erik Bedard wins over former Pirate Ross Ohlendorf.

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The Pirates score 9 runs in the 4th to beat San Diego, 11 – 5. Before the explosion, the Bucs were trailing, 5 – 1, and had lost their previous three games, putting fans in fear of a repeat of last year’s second-half swoon that saw them fall below .500 yet again. Clint Barmes hits a grand slam in the big inning, atoning for two earlier errors, as Erik Bedard wins over former Pirate Ross Ohlendorf.

LF Rajai Davis drives in 5 runs and makes a tremendous catch in the 7th, scaling the 10-foot fence to deprive Casey McGehee of a home run as the Blue Jays defeat the Yankees, 10 – 7. Edwin Encarnacion hits a two-run homer and adds a double and a single in support of Davis’s heroics.

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LF Rajai Davis drives in 5 runs and makes a tremendous catch in the 7th, scaling the 10-foot fence to deprive Casey McGehee of a home run as the Blue Jays defeat the Yankees, 10 – 7. Edwin Encarnacion hits a two-run homer and adds a double and a single in support of Davis’s heroics.

It’s V-Day for Detroit when the Tigers’ 4-3 victory in Cleveland snaps a 13-game losing streak at Progressive Field. The team avoids being swept by the Tribe thanks to starter Justin Verlander’s 100th career win and Jose Valverde’s 33rd consecutive save, breaking a team record established in 1984 by Guillermo Hernandez.

ByThis Day in Baseball

It’s V-Day for Detroit when the Tigers’ 4-3 victory in Cleveland snaps a 13-game losing streak at Progressive Field. The team avoids being swept by the Tribe thanks to starter Justin Verlander’s 100th career win and Jose Valverde’s 33rd consecutive save, breaking a team record established in 1984 by Guillermo Hernandez.

Dan Uggla extends his Atlanta-record hitting streak to 32 games as he belts a pair of solo homers off the Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano for a 10 – 4 Braves win. Zambrano gives up a career-high 5 home runs, as he is tagged for 8 runs in 4 1/3 innings. After giving up Uggla’s second homer and another by Freddie Freeman back-to-back, he throws two brushback pitches at Chipper Jones and is ejected by home plate umpire Tim Timmons. The long-time Cubs ace then cleans out his locker and leaves the ballpark, not informing manager Mike Quade or anyone else whether he is in fact retiring. The Cubs will place him on the disqualified list tomorrow. Before the game, the Braves officially retire uniform number 6, worn by long-time manager Bobby Cox who retired after last season.

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Dan Uggla extends his Atlanta-record hitting streak to 32 games as he belts a pair of solo homers off the Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano for a 10 – 4 Braves win. Zambrano gives up a career-high 5 home runs, as he is tagged for 8 runs in 4 1/3 innings. After giving up Uggla’s second homer and another by Freddie Freeman back-to-back, he throws two brushback pitches at Chipper Jones and is ejected by home plate umpire Tim Timmons. The long-time Cubs ace then cleans out his locker and leaves the ballpark, not informing manager Mike Quade or anyone else whether he is in fact retiring. The Cubs will place him on the disqualified list tomorrow. Before the game, the Braves officially retire uniform number 6, worn by long-time manager Bobby Cox who retired after last season.

CC Sabathia also gives up 5 home runs, facing the Tampa Bay Rays. Casey Kotchman, Kelly Shoppach, Johnny Damon, Elliot Johnson and Evan Longoria all hit solo homers off the Yankees ace, accounting for all of the Rays’ runs in a 5 – 1 win. David Price is the winner.

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CC Sabathia also gives up 5 home runs, facing the Tampa Bay Rays. Casey Kotchman, Kelly Shoppach, Johnny Damon, Elliot Johnson and Evan Longoria all hit solo homers off the Yankees ace, accounting for all of the Rays’ runs in a 5 – 1 win. David Price is the winner.

The Phillies beat the Dodgers, 10 – 9, after trailing 9 – 2 entering the bottom of the 8th. They score 4 runs that inning, and 4 more in the 9th off All-Star closer Jonathan Broxton to complete the dramatic comeback. Broxton starts the bottom of the 9th by hitting Placido Polanco with a pitch, then walks Mike Sweeney and Jayson Werth to load the bases with none out. Ben Francisco hits an apparent double play grounder, but it scoots through 3B Casey Blake’s legs and two runs score. Carlos Ruiz follows with a game-ending two-run double to left-center.

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The Phillies beat the Dodgers, 10 – 9, after trailing 9 – 2 entering the bottom of the 8th. They score 4 runs that inning, and 4 more in the 9th off All-Star closer Jonathan Broxton to complete the dramatic comeback. Broxton starts the bottom of the 9th by hitting Placido Polanco with a pitch, then walks Mike Sweeney and Jayson Werth to load the bases with none out. Ben Francisco hits an apparent double play grounder, but it scoots through 3B Casey Blake’s legs and two runs score. Carlos Ruiz follows with a game-ending two-run double to left-center.

Milwaukee’s Casey McGehee’s last hit, a seventh-inning single, during his 4-for-4 performance in the team’s 8-4 victory over Arizona at Miller Park, establishes a franchise record. The Brewer infielder’s ninth consecutive hit breaks the club mark set by teammate Ryan Braun in 2008, but is three shy of the major league record of 12, accomplished by Pinky Higgins (1938) and Walt Dropo (1952).

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Milwaukee’s Casey McGehee’s last hit, a seventh-inning single, during his 4-for-4 performance in the team’s 8-4 victory over Arizona at Miller Park, establishes a franchise record. The Brewer infielder’s ninth consecutive hit breaks the club mark set by teammate Ryan Braun in 2008, but is three shy of the major league record of 12, accomplished by Pinky Higgins (1938) and Walt Dropo (1952).

Major League Baseball owners unanimously approve the sale of the Texas Rangers to a group headed by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan, ending a drawn-out saga.

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Major League Baseball owners unanimously approve the sale of the Texas Rangers to a group headed by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan, ending a drawn-out saga.