Yan Gomes becomes the first Brazilian player in Major League history when he is inserted in the Blue Jays’ starting line-up at 3B in today’s game against the Yankees, taking over for Brett Lawrie who is beginning a four-game suspension. Gomes goes 2 for 3, but it is homers by Jose Bautista and J.P. Arencibia which lead the Jays to a 4 – 1 win.

Brandon Beachy throws his first career shutout for the Atlanta Braves, to improve his National League-leading ERA to 1.33. The Braves defeat the Marlins, 7 – 0.

The A’s dispose of the Rangers, 5 – 4, in a closely-fought 10-inning game. There is a controversial call in the 6th inning, when the Rangers’ Craig Gentry scores from third on a squeeze bunt by Elvis Andrus. Oakland P Brandon McCarthy argues vainly that he caught the ball on the fly, but the only result is that his manager Bob Melvin is ejected for pressing the case too much. Mitch Moreland hits a pair of homers for Texas, but Oakland keeps fighting back, and in the 10th, Kila Ka’aihue drives in Jonny Gomes with a single off Mike Adams to seal the win. Winner Ryan Cook extends his scoreless streak from the start of the season to 19 2/3 innings.

Brian McCann becomes the 11th major leaguer to hit a game-tying pinch homer and a game-winning, extra-inning homer in the same game. He provides all of the Braves’ offense in a 3 – 1 win over Houston.

Harmon Killebrew, one of the great sluggers of the 1960s with 573 career home runs, passes away from cancer at 74 in Scottsdale, AZ. The gentle and universally-like “Killer”, who spent the bulk of his career with the Minnesota Twins, was the 1969 AL MVP and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984.

The battle for AL West supremacy ends in a knock-out. Oakland romps over Los Angeles, 14 – 0, as Gio Gonzalez pitches 7 one-hit innings. Mark Ellis has 3 hits and 4 RBI for the A’s while Tyler Chatwood has the worst start of his young career, giving up 7 runs in 2 1/3 innings.

It’s another epic battle between the Yankees and Red Sox at New Yankee Stadium. The Yanks take a 5 – 0 lead in the 1st inning against Daisuke Matsuzaka, but the Sox storm back to take the lead with five home runs, two by Victor Martinez, and one each by David Ortiz, J.D. Drew and Kevin Youkilis. Then, in the bottom of the 9th, Jonathan Papelbon gives up a pair of two-run homers, to Alex Rodriguez and Marcus Thames, and the Yankees end up on top, 11 – 9.

The Dodgers extend their winning streak to 8 games with a 6 – 2 victory over the Astros. Rookie John Ely allows only one run in 7 innings facing the worst offense in the major leagues; he has yet to allow a walk while striking out 25 in 25 1/3 innings this season. Blake DeWitt hits two triples for the Dodgers who have moved to within two games of the NL West lead after a slow start.

A blunder by manager Joe Maddon in filling out the line-up card forces Tampa Bay to forgo the designated hitter and bat pitcher Andy Sonnanstine third. He hits an RBI double in the 4th on his way to a 7 – 5 win over Cleveland.