2018 – Jorge Lopez of the Royals pitches 8 perfect innings against the Twins before allowing first a walk to Max Kepler to lead off the 9th, then a single to Robbie Grossman. Wily Peralta then comes in to close a 4 – 1 win.
2017 – The Dodgers, who just a couple of months ago seemed poised to challenge the major league record of 116 wins in a season, lose again, their 8th straight defeat and 13th in 14 games, as they bow to the Rockies, 5 – 4. They blow an early 4 – 1 lead as D.J. LeMahieu hits a two-run double in the 5th to put Colorado ahead to stay. On a positive note, Yu Darvish records the 1000th strikeout of his career, punching out Carlos Gonzalez in the 5th, becoming the fastest starting pitcher to reach the mark, in 812 innings over 128 games.
Alex Rodriguez hits the 30th homer of his excellent comeback season with the Yankees. He ties Hank Aaron’s record of 15 seasons of 30 or more home runs. It is his first time reaching the mark since 2010, before his career almost ended because of a string of injuries and a one-year suspension for PED use.
2014 – A couple of franchise records are tied or broken in Miami’s 6 – 4 win over the Brewers. Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo records his 1,207th career strikeout, passing Ben Sheets as the franchise’s all-time leader, while for the Marlins, Giancarlo Stanton hits home run number 154, tying Dan Uggla as the team’s all-time leader. For the Brewers, it’s their 12th loss in 13 games, as they are slowly drifting out of postseason contention after occupying first place in the NL Central for most of the season.
The Reds complete a three-game sweep of the Dodgers with a 3 – 2 win capped by Ryan Hanigan’s game-ending double in the 9th, scoring Zack Cozart from first base. The Reds had last swept the Dodgers at home back in 1992.
The Nationals announce that they are shutting down ace pitcher Stephen Strasburg in order to limit his innings on the mound in his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery. While other teams have taken similar decisions in the past, it is the first time a team involved in a pennant race has deliberately taken one of its top pitchers out of action of its own volition. Strasburg is 15-6, 3.16, with 197 strikeouts in 159 1/3 innings. His absence will be sorely felt when the Nats drop a five-game NLDS series to the Cardinals next month, in large part because of a lack of pitching depth.
The Orioles defeat the Yankees, 5 – 4, to tie the Bronx Bombers for first place in the AL East once again, but the win is costly. RF Nick Markakis breaks his left thumb when hit by a CC Sabathia pitch in the 5th inning, putting him out for the remainder of the year. Mark Reynolds, Lew Ford and J.J. Hardy homer for the Orioles. Closer Jim Johnson almost blows a 5 – 3 lead when he loads the bases on three singles with none out in the 9th; Nick Swisher brings the Yankees within one on a force out, before Mark Teixeira is declared out when sliding head-first into first base while vainly trying to avoid a game-ending double play. Teixeira and manager Joe Girardi blast umpire Jerry Meals for his call after the game.
Darwin Barney sets the National League record for consecutive errorless games by a second baseman with 124, surpassing Ryne Sandberg, another Cub infielder, who played his consecutive errorless streak at second between the 1989 and 1990 seasons. The major league mark for consecutive errorless games at second base is 186, established by Tiger infielder Placido Polanco from 2006-08.
Ian Kennedy picks up his National League-leading 19th win as the Diamondbacks defeat San Diego, 4 – 1. He fans 11 batters in 7 2/3 innings in a dominating effort. J.J. Putz then picks up his 38th save as the D-Backs have now won 14 of their last 16.
The Braves sweep a doubleheader from the Mets at Citi Field, increasing their lead in the Wild Card race to 7 1/2 games. A pair of rookies pick up the wins, Mike Minor in the 6 – 5 defeat of New York in the opener, and Julio Teheran, with his first major league victory, as the Braves prevail, 5 – 1, in the nightcap. All four starters are in fact rookies (Chris Schwinden and Dillon Gee start for the Mets), the first time four rookie pitchers are the starters in a doubleheader since 1965.