As play is about to resume following the All-Star break, the two Chicago teams pull off a rare trade, with the White Sox sending P José Quintana to the Cubs in return for four prospects: P Dylan Cease, OF Eloy Jimenez and IFs Matt Rose and Bryant Flete. In another trade, this one between contenders, the Yankees sent P Tyler Webb to the Brewers in return for 1B Garrett Cooper, in a deal designed to provide some depth at a position where the Yankees have become very thin.

Todd Frazier wins the annual Home Run Derby in front of a home crowd at Great American Ball Park, edging out rookie Joc Pederson, 15-14, in the final round. For the first time, the competition is staged with a time limit for batters, and Frazier hits the homer that ties him with Pederson with seconds to go before launching the clincher.

Backstop Buster Posey and southpaw Madison Bumgarner become the first batterymates in major league history to hit grand slams in the same game when they both go deep in the Giants’ 8-4 victory over the Diamondbacks at AT&T Park. The left-hander’s four-run round-tripper marks only the second time that a hurler has hit two in a season, a feat also accomplished by Tony Cloninger, who hit both his grand salamis in the same game in 1966.

Tim Lincecum of the Giants no-hits the Padres, 9 – 0, striking out 13 batters in the process.

Max Scherzer loses his first game of the year after 13 straight wins when the Tigers bow to the Rangers, 7 – 1.

Chipper Jones ties Mike Schmidt for second place on the all-time list for RBI by a third baseman, knocking in his 1,595th run with a homer in Atlanta’s 7 – 5 win over the Mets. Jones is now one RBI behind George Brett among players who played the majority of their careers at the hot corner. C David Ross filling in for Brian McCann, who is on paternity leave, drives in 4 runs for the Braves, who also benefit from 11 walks issued by New York pitchers.

C Russell Martin guns down Howie Kendrick on a steal attempt at second base to preserve the Yankees’ 6 – 5 win over the Angels to begin the season’s second half. It is the third runner that Martin catches in a steal attempt tonight, and he also drives in the winning run in the 8th. Mark Teixeira drives in the other 5 runs for the Yankees with a pair of homers.

Zack Greinke of the Brewers becomes the first pitcher since Red Faber in 1917 to start three consecutive games for his team, when he faces the Pirates today. Greinke had been ejected after only four pitches on July 7th for spiking the ball into the ground, then started the next day’s game, lasting three innings. The All-Star break then intervened, allowing him to start the Brewers’ first game of the second half, but he pitches only 5 innings with a no-decision. Faber had done so under more demanding circumstances, starting both ends of a doubleheader before pitching a complete game the next day.

With jury selection complete, both sides make their opening arguments in the trial of Roger Clemens for perjury. It is clear that the central issue will be the credibility of Clemens’ former trainer, Brian McNamee, who has supplied much of the prosecution’s key evidence and will be its star witness. For its part, the defense argues that “Clemens’ only crime was having the poor judgment of staying connected with McNamee”, claiming that none of the allegations are founded and that the physical evidence is the result of tampering.

George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees since 1973, passes away from a heart attack at his home in Tampa, FL. Steinbrenner restored the Yankees to greatness during his ownership, spent lavishly on free agents, fired managers and front office personnel at a sometimes dizzying pace, but saw the team win seven World Series titles. He had relinquished the team’s operations to his son Hal Steinbrenner as his health deteriorated badly in 2008.