Monday brought us an 11-game slate of MLB action, meaning eight teams enjoyed an off-day. Here is everything you need to know about the day in baseball.

Monday's scores

Yankees take first game of Subway Series

The 2017 edition of the Subway Series opened Monday night. The Yankees and Mets will play two games at Yankee Stadium before shifting to Citi Field for two games later this week.

The Yankees took the first game between crosstown rivals Monday night thanks to breakout outfielder Aaron Hicks, who clubbed his career high 12th home run and second since returning from an oblique strain last week. Hicks crushed the game-winning blast in the eighth inning. To the action footage:

Following the 2-for-4 night, Hicks has a slash line of .284/.389/.518 in 65 games in 2017. He hit .223/.299/.346 in 370 games with the Twins and Yankees from 2013-16 before breaking out in 2017. Hicks has always had talent. He's a former first-round pick and highly rated prospect. It just took him a little while to put it all together.

Anyway, with the victory Monday, the Empire State Building will shine Yankees colors overnight:

Round 2 of the Subway Series will be played Tuesday night, back at Yankee Stadium.

Bettis returns following cancer treatment

What an amazing night at Coors Field. Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer over the winter, returned to the mound after missing the first months of the season while undergoing treatment. He was, of course, welcomed with a huge ovation when he left the dugout and walked out on the field. Check it out:

What an awesome moment. Bettis must've felt like he was a rookie making his MLB debut again.

But wait! It gets better. Bettis didn't merely return to the mound Monday. He returned to the mound and dominated. Seven shutout innings against the Braves.

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Chad Bettis
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It gets no better than that. Congrats to Bettis for beating cancer and returning to the mound. Every baseball fan was pulling for him.

Machado continues hot streak

One of the biggest mysteries of the first half of the season was Manny Machado's never-ending slump. He went into the All-Star break hitting a decidedly un-Machado-like .230/.296/.445 with 18 home runs. The power numbers are great. Everything else? Yuck.

That slump is most certainly over now. Machado went into Monday's game hitting .336/.373/.533 with four home runs in 30 second-half games, and he added home run No. 5 on Monday night. It was a grand slam into the upper deck at Safeco Field.

That is quite the blast. Not too many players hit 'em up there.

Devers goes deep again ... and again

One day after hitting a dramatic game-tying home run against Aroldis Chapman at Yankee Stadium, Red Sox rookie Rafael Devers went deep twice Monday night. He went out of Fenway Park in both directions -- opposite-field shot over the Green Monster, and a pulled homer to right field.

Here's the video of Devers' two home runs Monday:

That's now six home runs in 16 games for Devers, who is still only 20. He won't turn 21 until October. Not many players that young have hit two home runs in one game for the Red Sox:

Just in case you were worried the Red Sox don't have enough young talent, now they have Devers, too. Some teams, you know?

Stanton hits 43rd home run

Make it 22 home runs in the past 34 games for Giancarlo Stanton. He is absolutely locked in right now. Stanton went deep for the fifth consecutive game, and now has 43 this season. No other player has more than 35. Here's Stanton's latest dinger:

Those 43 home runs are a new single-season Marlins record. Gary Sheffield hit 42 back in 1995. Of note: the Marlins still have 47 games to play this season.

Judge extends strikeout streak

Aaron Judge is in the middle of a tough second half, though Monday night, he smacked his AL-best 36th home run of the season. It was an opposite-field shot, which I'm sure the Yankees were happy to see. Judge is at his best when he's going to right-center field. Here's the homer:

That was career home run No. 40 for Judge. Only two players have reached the 40-homer plateau in fewer games:

A few innings before the home run, Judge struck out, which is notable because he has now struck out in 31 consecutive games. That is four short of the MLB single-season record.

Stoneman and Blue were, of course, pitchers. So Judge is one game behind Dunn's position player record. Strikeout history could be made this week, and not the good kind.

Kinsler ejected after a ball

Usually when a hitter gets ejected for arguing balls and strikes, he's ejected for arguing a strike. A borderline pitch goes against him and he doesn't like it. Happens almost every night across the league.

On Monday, Ian Kinsler managed to get ejected after taking a ball. He had been having words with home plate umpire Angel Hernandez, and on an obvious ball out of the zone, it appeared he looked back and said something. "Are you sure that one isn't a strike?" Something like that, I'm guessing. Hernandez ejected Kinsler immediately.

I'm no lip reader, though it seems pretty clear what Kinsler said to Hernandez after the ejection: "You're [expletive] terrible at your job and I'm trying to do my [expletive] job." Yep, that'll do it. Kinsler's wallet will be a little lighter after that.

Votto beats unusual shift

Monday night at Wrigley Field, the Cubs employed a rather unique shift against Joey Votto. They used four outfielders and three infielders. Votto beat the shift anyway by pulling a double down the line.

Votto, by the way, has now reached base at least twice in 19 consecutive games. The longest such streak in history is 22 games by Ted Williams.

Quick hits

  • Astros SS Carlos Correa took 20-25 swings off a tee and fielded ground balls on Monday, reports the Houston Chronicle. Correa is rehabbing from a torn ligament in his thumb and everything is progressing well. He is expected back next month.
  • Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray will make a minor league rehab start on Thursday, reports the Arizona Republic. He worked his way back from a concussion after getting hit by a line drive. Ray, an All-Star this year, hasn't pitched this month.
  • The Astros placed C Brian McCann on the 10-day DL with a knee injury, the team announced. It's unclear how long he will be sidelined. C Max Stassi was called up and LHP Jordan Jankowski was designated for assignment in corresponding moves.
  • The Blue Jays have signed LHP Brett Anderson to a minor league contract, reports Sportsnet. Anderson has to pass a physical before the deal is official. He has missed much of the season with back problems, and was recently released by the Cubs.