The New York State Senate congratulates Mr. Met with a voice approved resolution, honoring the larger-than-life bobblehead for being named the best mascot in the U.S. in a fan survey conducted by the Marketing Arm. The Amazins’ spherical symbol of cheer, who defeated the popular Phillie Phanatic in the poll, is commended by the legislative body for having his legacy serve as “a sterling example for all mascots”.

Every pitcher wants to join the no-hitter act, following those by Francisco Liriano and Justin Verlander over the past week, and bids by three other pitchers thwarted in the 6th inning or later. It’s now Anibal Sanchez’s turn to go deep into a game without allowing a hit, keeping the Nationals hitless until a 7th-inning single by Laynce Nix. Gaby Sanchez gives his namesake, who pitched a no-hitter in 2006 and took one into the 9th inning on April 22nd, all the support he needs with a three-run homer, two doubles, a single and three runs scored as the Marlins cruise to an 8 – 0 win.

The Angels beat the Indians, 6 – 5, on Erick Aybar’s go-ahead double in the 8th, giving manager Mike Scioscia his 1,000th major league win, all with one team. In a statistical oddity, all seven American League games played today end with one of the teams having scored 5 runs – 4 times by the winning team, and 3 times by the losers. It takes a three-run 10th inning by the White Sox to defeat Seattle, 5 – 2, to complete the slate.

Snapping out of what is for him a typical cold start to the season, the Yankees’ Mark Teixeira hits three homers and drives in 5 runs to lead New York to a 14 – 3 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park; he is the second player in Yankee history to hit three long balls in a game against Boston, after Lou Gehrig. Francisco Cervelli, starting because of an injury to C Jorge Posada, also drives in 5 runs. Teixeira’s last dinger is hit against OF Jonathan Van Every, making the second pitching appearance of his career. The game is interrupted for 1:15 by a rain delay in the 5th inning, forcing starter CC Sabathia out early and giving Alfredo Aceves the win.

Brewers manager Ken Macha flips a coin to decide who will be his starter in right field and hits the jackpot. Both Jody Gerut and Corey Hart have struggled all season, but Gerut, the coin toss winner, hitting .048 against righties coming into the game, hits for the cycle in a 17 – 3 rout of Arizona.

Hideki Matsui collects the 1500th RBI of his professional career, between Nippon Pro Baseball and Major League Baseball, in the 10th inning. to give the Angels a 4 – 3 victory over the Mariners.

At Camden Yards, Alex Rodriguez takes no time in making his return to the Yankees lineup felt, blasting a three-run home run on the very first pitch he has seen this season. The third baseman’s Ruthian blast, which comes off a 98-mph fastball thrown by Baltimore’s right-hander Jeremy Guthrie, helps to snap the Yankees’ five-game losing streak when they beat the Orioles, 4-0.

Stephen M. Ross, the owner of the Dolphins’ football franchise and the stadium in which the NFL team and Marlins play their games, and singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett announced a unique branding partnership which renames the ballpark Land Shark Stadium. The sponsorship deal, which brings together Buffett’s Margaritaville and Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Land Shark Lager joint venture, is reportedly for only eight months with the name reverting to Dolphin Stadium unless another naming rights deal happens before Super Bowl XLIV and the 2010 Pro Bowl.

In his first game of the season after missing six weeks because of hip surgery, Alex Rodriguez hits the first pitch he sees from Baltimore’s Jeremy Guthrie for a three-run home run in a 4 – 0 Yankees win that ends a five-game losing streak. CC Sabathia pitches a four-hit shutout in his best performance since signing a huge free agent contract over the winter.