Ryan Dempster of the Cubs and Homer Bailey of the Reds both celebrate their birthday by pitching against each other. It is believed to be the first time in major league history that opposing starting pitchers are both pitching on their birthdays.
Francisco Liriano’s first complete game in his six-year major league career is a no-hitter, a 1-0 gem thrown against the White Sox at a chilly U.S. Cellular Field. The Twins’ 27 year-old southpaw entered the game with a 2-4 record along with a 9.13 ERA, fueling speculation that he was in danger of losing his spot in the Minnesota rotation.
Ubaldo Jimenez becomes the first six-game winner in the majors this year with a 5 – 2 win by the Rockies over San Diego. He strikes out a career-high 13 in the game, including All-Star 1B Adrian Gonzalez three times.
Brett Cecil, feeling dizzy and congested, pitches the best game of his career as he throws six perfect innings in Toronto’s 5 – 1 win over Cleveland. A one-out walk to Grady Sizemore in the 7th breaks the perfecto and is followed by Jhonny Peralta’s single. Cecil is the fourth different Blue Jays pitcher to carry a no-hitter into the 7th inning this year; he allows just the one hit in 8 innings and strikes out 10.
Defeating San Diego 2-1 in 10 innings, the Dodgers tie a franchise record, winning their ninth consecutive decision at home from the start of the season. The 1946 club also reeled off nine straight victories at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field at the beginning of the post-war campaign.
In the eighth inning of the Rays’ 5-3 victory over Boston, Carl Crawford steals his sixth base of the game to become the fourth major leaguer to accomplish the feat. The 27 year-old perennial American League stolen base champ joins Eddie Collins (twice 1912 – A’s ), Otis Nixon (Braves – 1991), and Eric Young (Rockies – 1996) as the only players to pilfer a half dozen bags in a contest since 1900.
Alfredo Despaigne hits his 32nd homer of the 2008-2009 Serie Nacional season, breaking Alexei Bell’s one-year old record. Despaigne accomplishes his feat on the final day of the season.
Jose Lopez bloops an RBI single in the bottom of the 15th inning to give Seattle an 8 – 7 victory over Oakland in the longest game played this season so far. The Mariners rally to tie the game at 4-all on Kenji Johjima’s home run in the 9th, then mount a three-run comeback in the 13th. Jason Vargas is the winner in his first major league appearance since 2007.
A group led by local real estate magnate Theodore Lerner wins the bidding to own the Washington Nationals, Major League Baseball confirms, ending a long selection process involving eight contenders.
The Florida Senate approves an amendment that puts the Marlins back in the game for a new ballpark at a site in northwest Miami Dade County.