Johnny Damon

The Boston Red Sox claimed former Red Sox and current Detroit Tiger Johnny Damon off waivers. However the decision to go back to Boston is Damon’s as he has a no-trade clause to Boston. Damon loves Detroit and playing for the Tigers. Damon was in uniform for the Tigers and in the lineup on Monday as the DH and he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. The Tigers pummeled the visiting KC Royals 12-3, capped by a seven run 6th inning. Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman was solid, going six innings while allowing two runs on eight hits.

Rich Harden returned to the Texas Rangers rotation on Monday evening in Arlington against the American League Central-leading Minnesota Twins. Harden spent time on the DL with a shoulder injury (plus time on the DL earlier in the summer) and had not gone more than five innings in three of his last five starts prior to his DL stint. Against the Twins, Harden was the best he had been all season. Harden pitched 6.2 no-hit innings and despite the boos bearing down on manager Ron Washington as he entered the field to remove Harden from the game, Harden understood. “I just wanted to go out there and go as deep into the game as I could. I thought about it, but I knew my pitch count was up unless I started getting five-, six-pitch innings.”

Lefty Matt Harrison came in to face Jim Thome with two outs and a man on base but got Thome to line out to end the inning. Darren O’Day pitched a perfect 8th inning while striking out two and rookie closer Neftali Feliz came in to close out the 9th inning, the 3-0 shutout, and complete the combined no-hitter. After walking Orlando Hudson with one out, Joe Mauer singled to center field to end the no-hitter. Feliz held on to get the final two outs to complete the shutout.

Brett Myers returns

Brett Myers returned to Philadelphia for the first time since signing with the Houston Astros this offseason. Myers has been Mr. Consistent all season for the Astros, lasting at least six innings in all of his starts. Myers spent his entire career with the Phillies until this season. He pitched seven solid innings and wound up with the win as the Astros scored two runs in the top of the 8th inning on a controversial call as the Astros held on for a 3-2 victory.

Myers allowed two runs (in the third inning on a Carlos Ruiz solo homerun and a Chase Utley RBI single) on nine hits while striking out nine.
The Tampa Bay Rays received a solid pitching performance from starter James Shields in LA, as the Rays beat the Angels 4-3 and former teammate Scott Kazmir. Shields went six innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits while striking out ten. The Rays bullpen went three perfect innings. In the 1st inning, the Rays jumped on Kazmir for three runs coming on a BJ Upton solo homerun to lead off the game and a two-run single by Ben Zobrist. With the win, the Rays pulled even with the NY Yankees for the AL East lead.

Jose Bautista

The Yankees received a solid pitching performance from rookie Ivan Nova, though there were some fireworks. Jose Bautista, the AL’s homerun leader, connected on a two-run homerun in the 3rd inning off Nova for a Blue Jays 2-1 lead. In the 6th inning, Nova threw a fastball up and towards Bautista’s head and both players created a heated moment (though cooler heads prevailed). With the game tied at 2-2 in the 8th inning, Bautista got his revenge by launching a David Robertson pitch over the left field wall for his 40th homerun and eventual game winner. The other star of the night for the Blue Jays was starting pitcher Brandon Morrow. He again shut down the Yankee offense at the Rogers Centre as he allowed two runs on four hits through six innings while striking out 12. Nova allowed two runs on six hits and the Yankees have not determined if he will remain with the big league club.

In Pittsburgh, the St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols hit his 399th career homerun (a three-run shot) in the 1st inning off Pirates starter Ross Ohlendorf. He ended up going 3-for-5 and fell a triple short of the cycle. Fans stayed on until the final out as Pujols’ at-bat came up in the 9th inning, only to see Tony LaRussa pinch-hit for the slugger with a 9-2 lead. The fans in attendance showered the pinch-hitter, Bryan Anderson, with boos and he added an RBI single to up the Cardinals lead to 10-2.