September 6

Stephen Strasburg makes his return to the major leagues barely a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The Nationals’ prize hurler throws 5 scoreless innings against the Dodgers, allowing only two hits, and leaves with a 3 – 0 lead. The Dodgers rally for a 7 – 3 win, however.

David Ortiz and Marco Scutaro both have 4 hits and Jon Lester throws seven scoreless innings to win his 15th game as the Red Sox romp over the Blue Jays, 14 – 0. Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Josh Reddick both homer as the Sox collect a season-high 20 hits.

The Giants edge a little closer to the Diamondbacks in the NL West with a 6 – 4 win over San Diego. Eric Surkamp wins his first major league decision while Brett Pill hits a two-run homer in his first major league at-bat for the Giants. Meanwhile, the D-Backs lose, 8 – 3, to the Rockies, to see their lead fall to 6 games. Colorado scores 7 times in the 8th inning, highlighted by Troy Tulowitzki’s three-run homer. Tulowitzki becomes the second NL shortstop to have a 30-HR, 100-RBI season.

The Padres end their 10-game losing streak by beating the Dodgers, 4 – 2. Nick Hundley homers and drives in two runs in support of emergency starter Tim Stauffer, who steps up for flu-ridden Mat Latos. The Pads’ once-comfortable lead over the Giants in the NL West is now down to a single game.

Ubaldo Jimenez finally wins his franchise record 18th game of the season, as the Rockies defeat the Reds, 10 – 5; Jimenez had started the year red hot, but had not won a game since August 4th, when he tied the mark of 17 wins held jointly by Kevin Ritz and Jeff Francis.

Omar Vizquel plays his 2,832nd game, breaking Rafael Palmeiro’s record for a player born outside the USA.

With a leadoff first-inning double in the Mariners’ 5-2 loss in Oakland, Ichiro Suzuki becomes the 259th player and the second-quickest to collect 2000 major league hits. In 1933, Al Simmons, playing with the White Sox, reached the milestone in his 1,390th game, a dozen contests less than Seattle’s superstar.

Ichiro Suzuki gets his 2,000th Major League hit, a double off Gio Gonzalez in the 1st inning. He is the second fastest to the milestone, taking 1,402 games, 12 more than Hall of Famer Al Simmons. Ichiro’s Mariners lose to Oakland, however, as Scott Hairston hits a decisive grand slam in the 5 – 2 game.

Milwaukee pulls off its first triple play since 1999 in the 6th inning, but needs a 12th-inning walk-off home run from Prince Fielder, against Merkin Valdez, to beat San Francisco, 2 – 1.

After striking out in his first three at-bats, Brandon Inge hits a grand slam off Russ Springer in the 9th inning to give Detroit a 5 – 3 win over Tampa Bay.