In a pregame 55-minute ceremony at Minute Maid Park, Craig Biggio becomes the ninth Astro to have his jersey number retired. The Smithtown, N.Y. native, who wore number 7, is the team’s all-time leader in games (2,850) and seasons (20) played.
Josh Hamilton becomes only the sixth major leaguer to beintentionally walked with the bases loaded. Rays’ manager Joe Maddon’s decision to give the Rangers’ slugger a run-producing free pass in the ninth inning is successful when Tampa Bay goes on to win the game in Arlington, 7-4.
Brandon Webb shuts out the Braves, 4 – 0, for his third straight shutout. It has been nine years since another pitcher (Roger Clemens) threw three consecutive complete games. Webb has now pitched 42 straight scoreless innings, the first pitcher to top 40 since Orel Hershiser in 1988. He ties Rube Foster for 12th in major league history and ranks 5th since 1940, trailing Hershiser, Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson and Sal Maglie.
For the first time in big league history, both teams hit leadoff home runs in the first two innings of a game. In a 5-4 White Sox victory over Kansas City at U.S. Cellular Field, Royals batters David DeJesus and Emil Brown go deep leading off in the first and second inning, respectively, as do Pablo Ozuna and Jermaine Dye for Chicago.
St. Louis announces the franchise has broken its single-season attendance record of 3.43 million set in 1989. The first-place Cardinals have sold 3.45 million tickets for the team’s farewell season at 40 year-old Busch Stadium.
At the age of 19, B.J. Upton becomes the first teenager in more than six years to homer in a major league game when he goes deep at Tropicana Field in the Rays’ 8-3 victory over Anaheim. Aramis Ramirez was the last major leaguer to hit a round-tripper before his 20th birthday when he connected in 1998 off Philadelphia’s Tyler Green, playing for the Pirates.
As she enters Sacramento’s Raley Field at 6:27 p.m., five year-old Olivia Perez is honored by the River Cats as she becomes the four millionth fan in franchise history. The Triple A affiliate of the Oakland A’s reaches the milestone faster than any club in minor league baseball history.
The Rally Monkey, the Angels’ unofficial mascot, is honored for its contribution to last season’s world championship with its own bobblehead doll promotion. The Rally Monkey Bobble Belly joins other dolls given to fans this year, paying tribute to Troy Glaus (2002 World Series MVP), Adam Kennedy (ALCS MVP), and Mike Scioscia (AL Manager of the Year) and will wear an Anaheim jersey with a name of an honored player on the back.
Peanuts character Charlie Brown joins late broadcaster Bob Prince, Negro League star Josh Gibson, former catcher Manny Sanguillen, and current shortstop Jack Wilson when he is honored by the Pirates with a bobblehead doll give-away day. Almost ten percent of the nearly 18,000 Peanuts strips created by Charles Schulz focused on baseball.
2002 – Jose Vizcaino smacks a leadoff homer on his way to a 5-for-5 night during a 6-1 victory in Cincinnati. Roy Oswalt wins his 15th but must wait until the ninth when Houston explodes for five runs to get the victory. They remain four games behind St. Louis in the Central Division chase.