Clay Hensley is the winner in his first start since 2008 as he beats the Mets, 4 – 1, allowing only one hit over five innings. Mike Stanton drives in two runs for the Marlins, who move to within a half game of catching the Mets and escaping the NL East cellar. It is the Fish’s 9th win in their last 10 games and they are now 15-9 since Jack McKeon took over as their manager.

The Indians sweep a doubleheader from the Twins in sweltering weather at Target Field, 5 – 2, and 6 – 3. Fausto Carmona wins the nitecap in his return from the disabled list after David Huff, just called up from the minors, earns the win in the opener with 7 shutout innings in an emergency spot start. The Indians like what they see from Huff enough to send down Jeanmar Gomez instead of him after the first game in order to activate Carmona for the game 2 start. The Twins also have to scramble for starters in the twin bill, using reliever Anthony Swarzak in the opener, and Scott Diamond, who makes his major league debut in the second game. Both pitch decently but end up with losses.

Luis Mendoza of the Omaha Royals seemingly throws a no-hitter against the Memphis Redbirds. However, right after the game ends, the official scorer changes a 9th-inning error by Omaha LF David Lough into a hit for Tyler Greene, taking the no-hitter away. An hour later, he changes his mind again, returning the no-hitter. Two days later, the Pacific Coast League will decide that it was in fact a hit for Greene, again costing Mendoza the no-hitter.

In the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, ground is broken for the Marlins’ long-awaited retractable-roof ballpark, scheduled to be completed by Opening Day 2012. The ceremony, attended by about 5,000 fans, includes Charlie Hough throwing a ceremonial pitch to Benito Santiago, the battery who threw and caught the first pitch in franchise history in 1993. The Fish’s scheduled game with the Philadelphia Phillies is then rained out, demonstrating that the planned retractable roof on the new park is an excellent idea.

2008 – Back from the All-Star break, the Brewers get a complete game win from C.C. Sabathia – just as they did in their last game before the break. Sabathia becomes the first hurler since Wilbur Wood in 1975 to get complete game wins in consecutive games without his team playing a contest in between. Wood accomplished the feat under similar circumstances.

Recently released Richie Sexson signs with the Yankees. The Bronx Bombers are hoping the former Mariners’ first baseman, who has the lowest batting average in the major leagues, hitting just .218 overall but .344 against lefties, can add a potent bat when the club faces southpaws.

In the last concert hosted at Shea Stadium, Billy Joel gets a little help from his friends as Paul McCartney joins him on stage and sings “I Saw Her Standing There,” to a tremendous ovation from the sold-out crowd of 55,000 stunned fans. ‘Sir Paul’ tells the crowd the Beatles had a ‘blast’ playing at Shea that night in 1965, the year after the Mets home ballpark opened.

Jason Varitek, calling a 1-0 pitching gem thrown by rookie southpaw Jon Lester, establishes a new team record, catching his 991st game with the Red Sox. The Boston captain surpasses the record previously held by Hall of Fame backstop Carlton Fisk (1969-80).

After signing a one-day contract with the Kansas City T-Bones and being ‘traded’ during the game to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, 94 year-old Buck O’Neil walks twice, once for each team, in the Northern League All-Star Game to become the oldest man ever to make a plate appearance in a professional baseball game. The former Negro League star surpasses 83 year-old Jim Eriotes, who struck out playing for the Sioux Falls Canaries earlier in the month but doesn’t break the mark of Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe, who threw one pitch in 1999 for the Schaumburg Flyers at the age of 96.

With a 14-5 victory over the Cardinals, the Braves become the first team since the 1930 Yankees to score ten or more runs in five consecutive games. During the streak, which includes two 15-run victories, Atlanta has tallied 65 runs.