In an on-field ceremony, former first baseman Carlos Delgado becomes the 10th member inducted on the Level of Excellence, an award bestowed by the Blue Jays in recognition of an individual player’s accomplishments for the team. Previous recipients of the prestigious award include Dave Stieb, George Bell, Joe Carter, Cito Gaston, Tony Fernandez, Pat Gillick, Tom Cheek, Roberto Alomar, and Paul Beeston.

The Dodgers, who were 12 games below .500 earlier this season and 9 1/2 games behind on June 22nd, are now tied for first in the NL West following a 9 – 2 win over the Nationals. Matt Kemp hits a home run and a double in his return from the disabled list, but hurts his ankle sliding home in the 9th.

The Cardinals tie the biggest inning in team history when they score 12 runs in the 7th inning, matching a feat from September 15, 1926. Those are the only runs of the game as they beat the Cubs, 12 – 0 behind the pitching of Jake Westbrook. Pinch-hitter Allen Craig collects a pair of doubles during the frame, part of a major league record-tying 7 two-baggers hit during the inning; the Cards’ 9 doubles in the game match another team record, dating back to 1931.

Jason Kubel hits three homers in leading the Diamondbacks to a 12 – 3 win over the Astros, as Wade Miley sets a franchise rookie record by earning his 11th win of the year. Before the game, the Astros trade veteran P Brett Myers to the White Sox for minor leaguers Matt Heidenreich and Blair Walters.

At Cooperstown’s Doubleday Field, the Hall of Fame honors Fox analyst Tim McCarver and Toronto Sun’s Bob Elliott for their longtime contributions in covering baseball. The pair, respectively, receive the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting and the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for sports writing.

2009 – Sergio Mitre earns his first win since 2007 as the Yankees beat Baltimore, 6 – 4. Mitre underwent Tommy John surgery in 2008, then was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for a banned substance; he allows 4 runs in 5 2/3 innings in his first start after being called up from AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to replace the injured Chien-Ming Wang. A two-run homer by Robinson Cano off Rich Hill and a two-run single by Alex Rodriguez are the big blows for the Bronx Bombers. Combined with Boston’s 4 – 2 loss at Texas, the win gives the Yankees sole possession of first place in the AL East for the first time this season.

2008 – The Tigers beat the Royals, 19 – 4. It is their third time scoring 19 or more runs this season, the first time a major league team has done that since the 1950 Red Sox. Miguel Cabrera drives in six and Matt Joyce five in the rout.

Diamondback left-hander Randy Johnson becomes the first major leaguer to collect 2,000 strikeouts for two different teams. The Arizona southpaw, who fanned 2,162 batters pitching for the Mariners from 1989-98, whiffs Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez to earn the distinction.

Coming out of the bullpen in the eighth, Jimmy Gobble allows ten runs in two-thirds of an inning, setting a franchise record for the most runs allowed by a Royals reliever in a game. The 26 year-old southpaw, who will be placed on the 15-day disabled list the next day with a stiff lower back, gives up seven hits and walks four batters, facing 13 Tigers.

Jose Reyes’ fourth-inning three-bagger in the Mets’ 7-5 victory over the Reds at Great American Ball Park makes him the franchise leader in triples. The speedy shortstop’s 11th three-base hit this season, the sixty-third of his career, all as a Met, puts the 25 year-old infielder one ahead Mookie Wilson.