In his third game since returning from shoulder surgery, C Brian McCann homers and drives in three runs to lead the Braves to a 6 – 3 win over the Giants. Craig Kimbrel picks up his 100th career save in the contest.
For only the third time ever, the reigning Cy Young Award winners face off. David Price and R.A. Dickey get no-decisions as the Rays top the Blue Jays, 5 – 4. The other match-ups had been Orel Hershiser vs. Frank Viola in 1989 and Tom Glavine vs. Roger Clemens in 1999.
The Yankees find out what it’s like not to have the greatest closer in history available to pitch for them, as David Robertson blows a 1 – 0, 9th-inning lead against the Rays. He loads the bases quickly, then gives up a game-tying sacrifice fly to B.J. Upton and a three-run homer to Matt Joyce as Tampa Bay wins, 4 – 1. These are the first runs given up by Robertson this year; he had been successful in his first opportunity to close in place of the injured Mariano Rivera on May 8th.
Milton Bradley, playing for his eighth club since his Expos debut in 2000, is cut by the Mariners, who still owe him the remaining part of his $13 million deal for this season. Although no specific incident triggers the team’s decision, the 33 year-old slumping outfielder had recently been suspended for a game after bumping an umpire, ejected from another contest for contesting a third strike, and a few days ago he became the target of the Seattle fans’ wrath for what they perceived as his lack of hustle.
The Pirates beat the Dodgers, 4 – 1, at PNC Park, to move their record to 18-17, the first time they have had a winning record this late in the season since 2004. The game turns in the 8th inning; with the score tied, 1 – 1, Pirates LF Jose Tabata dives to catch a line drive off the bat of Jose Uribe, and then doubles Matt Kemp off first base. Uribe and manager Don Mattingly both argue that the ball was trapped, not caught, as television replays confirm, but are ejected by umpire Mike DiMuro for pressing their case too vehemently. In the bottom of the frame, Neil Walker drives in pinch-runner Xavier Paul with a double off Chad Billingsley to break the tie, then Lyle Overbay and Ryan Doumit follow with doubles of their own to put the game away.
Zack Greinke wins his first game for the Milwaukee Brewers, striking out 9 batters in 6 innings in a 4 – 3 win over San Diego at Miller Park. Losing pitcher Mat Latos is now 0-5 and has lost his last 10 decisions.
The Mariners clean house in the outfield, designating for assignment veterans Milton Bradley and Ryan Langerhans.
Dallas Braden pitches the 19th perfect game in major league history as the Oakland A’s defeat the Tampa Bay Rays, owners of the best record and best offense in the majors coming into the game, 4 – 0. Braden’s is the second perfect game in franchise history, following that of Catfish Hunter on May 8, 1968; it also comes less than ten months after Mark Buehrle pitched the last perfecto, also against the Rays, on July 23, 2009.
With their offense out of gas, the Mariners fire hitting coach Alan Cockrell and replace him with AAA hitting instructor Alonzo Powell. Seattle is hitting only .225 and has been outhomered as a team by Paul Konerko of the White Sox. The M’s respond to the change with an 8 – 1 win over the Angels as Michael Saunders hits his first major league homer and Josh Wilson also goes deep. Jason Vargas is the beneficiary of the offensive outburst.
Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals hits a home run in the 8th inning to beat Arizona, 2 – 1, extending his hitting streak to 27 games. A.J. Hinch is still winless since taking over as D-Backs manager.