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WASHINGTON -- He stood at second base with his back toward the plate, a blank expression on his face as he awaited the pummeling coming from his teammates in celebration of his game-winning hit. It was in part a sigh of relief for Michael A. Taylor, who swatted a double off the wall in center field, allowing Juan Soto to score the game-winning run in the ninth for a 2-1 walk-off victory over the Padres on Tuesday night.

Tweet from @Cut4: Michael A. Taylor's really gotta work on keeping his composure after hitting walk-offs. pic.twitter.com/U6TyU6P3n9

"Like a weight was being lifted off," Taylor said. "It's been a rough stretch for me. I took a deep breath. I've been waiting to have something turn for me."

Washington has won the first two games of this series at Nationals Park and will try to complete a three-game sweep on Wednesday. And no batter in the Nationals' lineup could have used the positive momentum from this walk-off hit more than Taylor.

Video: SD@WSH: Taylor talks walk-off hit, staying positive

Taylor has scuffled at the plate, posting a slash line of .190/.254/.319 this season. That made his all-around standout night that much sweeter, culminating with an eight pitch at-bat against left-hander Matt Strahm in the ninth. Combined with an outfield assist in the sixth inning to throw out a runner at the plate, and this was the kind of game that could reverse Taylor out of his slump.

"It was huge," manager Dave Martinez said. "Not just for Michael, but for our team. So happy for him. He's been working diligently to get his swing right. And the last two days, he's swinging really well. Before that, the throw he made home, incredible. This was Michael's day. Proud of him."

Video: SD@WSH: Taylor throws out Pirela with 98.8-mph throw

The game was tied at 1 leading up to that point, with the Nationals getting on the board in the fifth inning thanks to Bryce Harper's National League-best 15th home run of the season, hammered to straightaway center field. It was Harper's second consecutive game with a home run.

The Nats also enjoyed another strong outing from right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who tossed 5 1/3 innings until a blister issue on his right hand forced him to exit the start prematurely. He gave up just one run -- a solo homer to Franchy Cordero in the fourth -- on five hits with five strikeouts.

Video: SD@WSH: Harper crushes a 433-ft. homer vs. Padres

Bridging the gap between the starters and the back end of the bullpen has been an issue for the Nationals, especially considering right-hander Ryan Madson is on the DL with a strained pectoral muscle. But they turned to right-hander Wander Suero on Tuesday, and he recorded five huge outs to keep the game tied and turn it over to Brandon Kintzler and Sean Doolittle, who tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth, respectively.

Tweet from @Nationals: tfw you hit a #walkoff double... pic.twitter.com/UfUE189gA0

That set the stage for Taylor, who collected his second career walk-off hit. His focus, he said, was on not chasing pitches out of the strike zone and trying to wait for something worthwhile to hit. And even as he launched his double 409 feet into center field, he was not sure it would fall to the ground until it did, when finally he could exhale.

Video: SD@WSH: Martinez on Taylor, Hellickson in walk-off

"It's awesome to see," Hellickson said. "He works hard. That throw from center is pretty impressive. You save a run in the field and hit the game-winner, can't get a better game than that."

• Hellickson snares liner with effortless grab

SOUND SMART
Soto reached base in all four plate appearances during his second career start, going 1-for-1 with three walks. A day after he hit his first career home run, the Padres mostly avoided pitching to him, and they did not tempt the 19-year-old to chase out of the strike zone.

"Not much, because I know the strike zone, and the umpires are better here," he said. "So I take advantage of that. I know they don't want to throw me a pitch to hit too hard. Maybe just be patient and see my pitch."

MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY
Taylor -- who was a pitcher for a bit in high school and said his velocity topped out at 94 mph -- uncorked a throw much harder than that in the sixth inning. Jose Pirela tried to score from second base on a single from Franmil Reyes, but Taylor unleashed a rocket from center field, measured at 98.8 mph by Statcast™, right to catcher Pedro Severino, who applied the tag. The initial call on the field ruled Pirela safe at the plate, but the Nationals challenged.

"I got excited when I saw Seve's reaction," Taylor said. "As soon as he made that tag, he was laying down, telling him we got him. I believed him."

Video: SD@WSH: Taylor nabs Pirela at the plate after review

The call on the field was overturned and Pirela was ruled out, keeping the game tied and showing off another aspect of Taylor's game.

"He knew what he had to do," Martinez said. "He knew it was a big moment. He came, gathered himself, went through the ball and made a perfect throw. ... For a second there I thought, 'Well, if we need someone to pitch, it might be Michael.'"

UP NEXT
The Nationals and Padres will meet at 4:05 p.m. ET for Wednesday's series finale at Nationals Park. Washington has yet to reveal its starter, although right-hander Erick Fedde, the team's top pitching prospect, would be on schedule if he is promoted from Triple-A Syracuse. Tyson Ross will take the mound for San Diego.

PHILADELPHIA -- Ozzie Albies' name did not stay atop the National League home run leaderboard for long. But his impressive night helped keep the Braves in first place in the NL East.

Albies hit his 14th homer of the season and scored all three Braves runs in a 3-1 win over the Phillies on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Brandon McCarthy kept the Phillies' bats quiet as the Braves stretched their division lead back to 1 1/2 games.

Albies took Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez deep on the first pitch he saw in the third inning, turning a hanging curveball into a 366-foot homer to right field. The home run briefly tied him with Bryce Harper of the Nationals for the most in the NL -- until Harper went deep in the fifth against the Padres in Washington.

Mookie Betts (16), Manny Machado (15) and J.D. Martinez (15) are the only other players in baseball with more home runs than the Braves second baseman.

"He's done a great job. He has a lot of confidence," Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Albies. "He's so strong, and has that bat speed. He can do a lot of things to help you win a game."

Albies also homered off Velasquez on April 29, when he started a Braves win with a solo shot on the first pitch of the game. April 29 marked the start of Albies as the Braves' everyday leadoff hitter, and he showed why he's so valuable in that role Tuesday, scoring each time he got on base. He drew a leadoff walk in the fifth and scored on a throwing error by Carlos Santana. Albies then helped the Braves get some insurance in the ninth.

Video: ATL@PHI: Albies scores on an errant throw in the 5th

He singled against Edubray Ramos, got to second on a passed ball and scored thanks to a great read when Ronald Acuna Jr. blooped a single to center.

Video: ATL@PHI: Acuna Jr. rips an RBI knock to center in 9th

"When the ball came off the bat, I was sure I was going to go for home plate, because we needed that run," Albies said.

Video: ATL@PHI: Albies covers ground sliding into home

McCarthy did not need a lot of run support. The veteran righty picked up his fourth win in as many starts this season against the Phillies -- and fifth win overall -- allowing just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings.

Video: ATL@PHI: McCarthy strikes out Herrera to end the 1st

McCarthy has pitched into the sixth inning in all four of his starts against the Phillies, allowing two runs or fewer in each. He has a 2.08 ERA against the Phillies this season and a 6.53 ERA in his other six outings.

"By the fourth time through, especially in a short span, there are no more surprises," said McCarthy. "They know where the ball is going. They know how I'm going to get it there. You just have to make sure you execute and try to beat them at what they're trying to do. There are no secrets at that point."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
McCarthy gets Hoskins: None of McCarthy's five strikeouts were bigger than the one he had to end the fifth inning. The Phillies had just scored their first run of the game and were still threatening with two runners on and Rhys Hoskins at the plate. With runners on second and third after a wild pitch, McCarthy got Hoskins to chase a 1-2 cutter out of the strike zone and keep the Braves' lead intact.

Video: ATL@PHI: McCarthy fans Hoskins to strand a pair

Leaving them loaded: The Braves loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth inning but came away without a run. Dansby Swanson, Ryan Flaherty and McCarthy all struck out swinging against Velasquez. The right-hander had nine strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

Video: ATL@PHI: Velasquez works out of a bases-loaded jam

HE SAID IT
"I was thinking I had zero chance against Velasquez in that at-bat. It's bases loaded, you can try to do something. Then you realize you can do nothing. I'm just here for decoration." -- McCarthy, who struck out on Velasquez's 94 mph fastball in the fourth inning

UP NEXT
Luiz Gohara will be making his first start of the season as the Braves close a three-game set in Philadelphia on Wednesday night at 7:05 ET. Gohara, a 21-year-old lefty, has made three relief appearances for the Braves this season, allowing one run on two hits in seven innings. Jake Arrieta will start for the Phillies.

ST. PETERSBURG -- Chris Sale had his lethal fastball and putaway slider working in concert on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, flustering the Rays and leading the Red Sox to a 4-2 victory in the opener of a three-game series.

The ace was on his game (7 2/3 innings, 4 H, 1 ER, 9 K's) and so, too was, Mookie Betts, who continues to be a slugger from the leadoff spot.

Betts slammed a three-run homer in the third to take over the MLB lead with 16 for the season.

Video: BOS@TB: Betts launches his league-leading 16th HR

"He's the best player in the league," Sale said of Betts. "I don't think there's any arguing that."

With an early lead to work with, Sale cruised.

"I felt loose, obviously having an extra day and was able to get some work in," said Sale. "Extra day of work and also an extra day of rest. Mixing some things up, Sandy [Leon] was nails back there again today, mixing them, in and out, up and down. I felt good the whole time through."

Video: BOS@TB: Kimbrel secures save, leaves bases loaded

Closer Craig Kimbrel worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to earn his 14th save, needing 32 pitches to do it.

Staked to that 3-0 lead by Betts, Sale did have a couple of misfires, one of which was deposited over the wall in left by Rays No. 2 prospect Willy Adames, who was making his Major League debut.

Video: Must C Classic: Adames hits HR off Sale for first hit

For the most part, the lefty (5-1, 2.17 ERA) was in complete command.

"Once we get the lead with that guy, we're in pretty good shape," said Betts.

The win gave the Red Sox an MLB-leading 33 victories for the season.

The home run by Betts came against Jake Faria, who exited two batters later with a left oblique strain. Rafael Devers added an insurance homer for Boston in the sixth.

Video: BOS@TB: Devers smacks a solo home run to right

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
JBJ's hard contact: Jackie Bradley Jr. is showing signs of snapping out of the deep slump he has started the season in. The center fielder had two hard singles and a well-struck groundout before striking out on a borderline pitch in his final at-bat.

Video: BOS@TB: Bradley Jr. rips single, deflected by Cron

"Good swing decisions," said Cora. "He didn't expand. Actually the last pitch, I guess it was a borderline pitch, one of those it was a strike for them, a ball for us, but being able to put barrel with the ball, and that second hit, I like that, being able to stay inside the ball, not too much movement, so he's still working."

SOUND SMART
With two more homers on Tuesday, the Red Sox have 70 for the season, their most through 48 games in club history. The previous high was 68 by the 1969 squad.

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
When C.J. Cron struck one to deep center in the third, Daniel Robertson figured he could score from first if he got a good jump. What Robertson didn't account for was the man playing center field for the Red Sox. Bradley went back and made a fine running catch and fired to Xander Bogaerts for what would turn into an 8-6-3 double play.

Video: BOS@TB: Bardley Jr. makes grab, doubles up Robertson

"I knew it was in the gap and I knew that I had to get going," said Bradley. "I saw where I thought it was going to go and I took my eyes off of it and ran to a spot and I was waiting on it."

"That was a little uncharacteristic," said Rays manager Kevin Cash. "I know D-Rob felt like off the bat it was a double, I can't argue that, but still, at that point of the game where the score is, there's not that big of a sense of urgency. But you know what? For the most part, we've done some pretty good things on the bases of late."

HE SAID IT
"There's no panic with him. You see the ball hit, and off the bat, it seemed like it was going out of the ballpark, but you look at him and he's just under control, he catches it. He's elite in center field." -- Cora, on Bradley's play against Cron

UP NEXT
Coming off arguably his best start as a member of the Red Sox, lefty David Price will try to keep it going when he faces the Rays on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. Last time out, Price came within one strike of a shutout but settled for a complete-game, five-hitter against the Orioles in which he threw just 95 pitches. First pitch against the Rays, who will counter with Chris Archer, is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.

ARLINGTON -- If Cole Hamels was trying to make a statement as to who might be the best starting pitcher available by trade this summer, he delivered a strong one on Tuesday night at Globe Life Park.

Hamels did so against a team that has both a powerful lineup and a potential need for starting pitching at some point this season, holding the Yankees to two runs on four hits through seven innings in pitching the Rangers to a 6-4 victory.

Home runs by Jurickson Profar and Ronald Guzman helped Hamels win his second straight start. He is 3-4 with a 3.38 ERA in 10 starts this season and 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his last five. If he keeps this up, he is going to be a desirable target for teams looking to upgrade their rotation this summer if the Rangers choose to go in that direction.

Video: NYY@TEX: Guzman clubs his 4th homer of the season

"It's May," Hamels said. "There's a lot of baseball, a lot of things could happen. I have a job to do, and it's to win here. This is where I've wanted to be, I've got a lot of young guys that definitely need me to try to be more of a leader and teach them kind of the facets of the game, and that's kind of what my focus is right now, to win for these guys and win for this team and this organization and these fans."

Hamels was scratched from his last start because of stiffness in his neck, but he looked strong physically through 100 pitches (63 for strikes). He walked two and struck out seven; the two runs he allowed scored on solo home runs by Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar.

"He was fresh, felt good," manager Jeff Banister said. "Probably the best mix of pitches we have seen from him all year. Kept the hitters off-balance. They didn't get any clean swings other than a couple of home runs. Solid game all around."

Video: NYY@TEX: Banister on Hamels, lineup in win over NYY

Hamels beat right-hander Domingo German, who allowed six runs in 3 2/3 innings.

"I thought [Hamels] was really good," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "The cut fastball was a real weapon for him. He threw some good changeups, and we knew we had a tough opponent tonight. I'm excited about the way the guys continued to compete, but I thought Cole pitched very well against us."

German is the Yankees' fifth starter, at least while Jordan Montgomery is on the disabled list, and he now has a 5.59 ERA in three starts and five relief appearances. That may be reason No. 1 why the Yankees will be looking for pitching this summer as the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches.

"I've been hearing all that stuff, and I don't even think that's very much on our radar right now," Boone said. "I don't read into that or look into that. I just look at it as, a good pitcher was able to beat us tonight."

The Rangers have not declared themselves to be "sellers." General manager Jon Daniels said the goal is to improve the team any way possible for now, next year and the foreseeable future. The Rangers have a $20 million option on Hamels for next season. Otherwise they pay a $6 million buyout and he becomes a free agent. He could be a valuable trade chip, but he could also be the right pitcher to build next year's rotation around as well.

Hamels knows this part of the business as well as anybody. The Rangers acquired him from Philadelphia on July 31, 2015, when the Phillies were headed into a major rebuilding project. That could be where the Rangers are headed as well before the summer is over.

"I'm just here to play and trying to remain healthy and maintain what I can do out on the field, and just getting good results and enjoying playing the game of baseball," Hamels said. "All of the decisions are not up to me. The only decision I have in my hand is to throw the baseball and get guys out. So I think that's kind of what I've been able to learn from the previous experiences."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The Rangers scored two runs in the bottom of the second off German without the ball leaving the infield. Robinson Chirinos was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, went to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third as Ronald Guzman grounded out. German struck out Ryan Rua, but the ball got past catcher Gary Sanchez, allowing Chirinos to score. Rua reached first on the play. German walked Shin-Soo Choo and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Nomar Mazara grounded out to first to bring home Rua.

Video: NYY@TEX: Mazara plates Rua with an RBI groundout

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Second baseman Rougned Odor showed some serious vertical leaping ability in the seventh, when he went high to snag Tyler Austin's soft line drive for the first out of the inning.

Video: NYY@TEX: Odor fully extends for a nice leaping catch

HE SAID IT
"Yeah, I feel like my old self. I'm hitting the ball well, I think. I hit a lot of balls hard, and they've been outs, but it's a long season. I'm going to keep swinging it, keep working hard every day and progress." -- Profar

Video: NYY@TEX: Profar belts a 3-run homer in the 1st

MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY
The Yankees won a replay challenge in the fifth. Odor, after reaching on a one-out walk, was ruled safe on a pickoff attempt by A.J. Cole. But Boone challenged the call, and it was overturned. After viewing all relevant angles, the replay official definitively determined that first baseman Neil Walker tagged Odor prior to Odor touching first base. One inning later, Boone was thrown out of the game by home-plate umpire Pat Hoberg for arguing balls and strikes.

Video: NYY@TEX: Cole picks off Odor on overturned call

UP NEXT
After getting a partial night off on Tuesday, used off the bench late in the game, Delino DeShields is expected to be back in the starting lineup when the Rangers face Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia at 6:05 p.m. CT Wednesday at Globe Life Park. DeShields is 9-for-29 against left-handers this season and 3-for-7 in his career against Sabathia. Right-hander Doug Fister pitches for the Rangers.

MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers' formula this season has been simple: Scratch out a lead, hand the baseball to Josh Hader and see how many opposing hitters the long-haired left-hander can mow through.

Now All-Star closer Corey Knebel is back in the mix, too.

That was the Brewers' formula for a 1-0 win over the D-backs at Miller Park on Tuesday, when Domingo Santana overcame a case of home run robbery in the fourth inning to deliver the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the sixth before Hader and Knebel battled Arizona hitters -- and some frustration aimed at plate umpire Angel Hernandez -- to make that run stand.

Video: ARI@MIL: Santana puts Brewers ahead with sac fly

Credit Brewers manager Craig Counsell with an honorary save for sprinting into the middle of a quarrel between Knebel and Hernandez after a disputed walk leading off the ninth inning. Counsell took his second ejection of the season but Knebel remained, and went on to seal the Brewers' ninth win in their last 12 games.

Video: ARI@MIL: Counsell tossed for arguing strike zone

As a result, Milwaukee is the first National League team to reach the 30-win plateau.

"It was more about protecting Corey, for sure," Counsell said. "[The players] had a bigger job than I did at that point."

He added with a smile, "I was happy with how fast I got out there for a 47-year-old."

The Brewers took issue with a ball 4 leading off each of the final two innings -- Jarrod Dyson against Hader in the eighth, and Jake Lamb against Knebel in the ninth. Both times, Brewers catcher Manny Pina came to the rescue, throwing out Dyson trying to steal second in the eighth and pinch-runner Nick Ahmed in the ninth.

Video: ARI@MIL: Pina nabs Dyson stealing second in the 8th

Those big outs helped preserve a shutout started by Jhoulys Chacin (five scoreless innings, two hits, four walks, six strikeouts) and finished by relievers Matt Albers, Hader and Knebel. It was Milwaukee's third shutout of Arizona in 149 matchups all time, including the 2011 National League Division Series. The Brewers had not blanked the D-backs since Aug. 20, 2007 -- the night Jeff Cirillo pitched against the Brewers at Chase Field.

"I know if we score one run," said Chacin, "we have a good chance to win the ballgame."

Hader was not the strikeout machine of recent outings, but he did log two more whiffs to give him 27 straight appearances with at least one strikeout -- the longest active streak by a reliever in the Majors -- and benefitted from fantastic defense in two scoreless innings.

Knebel, recently off the disabled list and back in the closer role, logged his second save in as many nights. He went into the manager's office after the game and thanked Counsell for getting between him and Hernandez. Knebel was upset with two pitches, a 2-2 fastball on the outside edge called Ball 3, and a full-count fastball on the inner half of home plate called Ball 4.

"If it wasn't for [Counsell] and his incredible speed, it could have been a little different situation," Knebel said.

Knebel admitted he let his emotions get to him at a critical moment.

"When I threw my hands up, I realized it was stupid. 'Don't do this. You can't get thrown out of the game right now,'" Knebel said. "It was a real heated situation. … Right there, 1-0, last inning, guy on first instead of one out. It could have been a different ballgame. Luckily, it wasn't."

Said Hader: "We have our hearts in these games. That's how much it means to us."

The Brewers have won four of five games over the past nine days against a slumping D-backs team that has lost six in a row and 12 of 13.

"I've been in this game a long time and I've seen some teams go through things like this," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "But this team is very capable and it gets frustrating because we have guys that are proven hitters at this level, and unfortunately are not executing."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Dyson robs Santana: Before Santana supplied the only offense with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning against former Brewer Jorge De La Rosa, he was the victim of Dyson's robbery. Santana was inches from a three-run home run in the fourth, only to see the Arizona center fielder make a fantastic leaping catch to pull the baseball back over the wall for the inning-ending out.

Video: Must C Catch: Dyson robs Santana of a home run

"He brought it back, for sure," said Hader, who had one of the best views in the ballpark from the Brewers' bullpen. "I thought it was gone. I looked over and say him running off. That's tough."

"Even after I saw that video," said Santana, "man, he took a couple of steps forward and then he went back, he gathered himself and made a great catch. Next time, I hope I can hit it on a line. … He made a good catch. I'm just glad we got the win."

Cain's sliding catch: "Obviously, I'm not perfect," said Hader after grinding through two innings that included a rare hit by a left-handed batter, David Peralta, boosting lefties to 2-for-30 (.067) against Hader this season. In the seventh, it was the first of Hader's two walks that put Arizona in business for pinch-hitter John Ryan Murphy, who hit a fly ball to shallow center field that was caught by Lorenzo Cain with a nifty slide. He flipped the ball back to the infield to double-up Ketel Marte, ending the threat.

Video: ARI@MIL: Cain makes sliding catch, doubles off runner

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Pina is hitting .333 (11-for-33) with three doubles and a home run over his last nine games, with at least one hit in eight of those games. That's a big deal for a Brewers offense looking for production at the bottom of the order. But it was Pina's arm that most impacted Tuesday's win.

In the eighth, he threw an 81.8 mph strike to shortstop Orlando Arcia, according to Statcast™, to nab Dyson, whose 30.6 feet per second sprint speed put him in the elite range. Arcia did a nice job of maintaining his tag on Dyson when Dyson lost contact with the bag.

An inning later, Pina registered a 1.85 second pop time and an 84.9 mph throw to retire Ahmed.

Video: ARI@MIL: Pina nails Ahmed stealing for 1st out of 9th

Pina averaged 84.9 mph on "max effort" throws last year, which ranked ninth of 61 qualifying catchers.

HE SAID IT
"I'm really happy with how our guys kept making pitches. It's a good learning lesson for them, that when the emotions get higher and the tensions get higher, and you want pitches that much more, you've got to be ready emotionally to handle not getting what you want sometimes." -- Counsell, on Hader and Knebel

Video: ARI@MIL: Counsell on strong pitching, ejection in win

UP NEXT
Brent Suter gets back on the mound for the Brewers in the finale of the three-game series against the D-backs at 12:10 p.m. CT on Wednesday. Suter (3-3, 4.72 ERA) last pitched over the weekend in Minnesota, picking up the win after 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball. Wednesday is the third game of the Brewers' 10-game homestand, which features series against the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals over the next week. RHP Zack Godley (4-3, 3.78 ERA) will get the nod for the D-backs.

CHICAGO -- The baseball that Jose Ramirez deposited in the basket above the ivy-covered wall in right at Wrigley Field was just the start. The Indians have plenty of bad memories when it comes to the Cubs, but Tuesday night did not stir any flashbacks.

Ramirez saw to that in the third inning, when he launched a three-run home run off Cubs righty Tyler Chatwood to ignite a 10-1 rout for the Tribe in its first trip back to the Friendly Confines since the 2016 World Series. There is no rewriting that history, but Cleveland turned in a much more memorable box score this time around.

Ramirez led the charge.

"He's one of the better hitters in the game," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "You look at him, and I don't know if you necessarily think you're going to see a guy who can drive the ball out of the ballpark like that. And now, as he's accumulating some experience, he knows the pitchers, he knows how to attack them, it makes him even better." 

The surplus of support worked well for Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer, who cruised through six shutout innings to lower his ERA to 2.35 on the season. Bauer bent at a handful of turns -- evidenced by the seven hits, three wild pitches and two walks on his line -- but the righty struck out six and halted every potential rally.

Video: CLE@CHC: Bauer fans 6 over 6 scoreless frames

Only Ian Happ's home run to lead off the ninth inning against Josh Tomlin -- who has recently been moved to the bullpen due to poor performance in the starting rotation -- prevented the shutout.

Ramirez's blast in the third marked his 14th of the season, pulling him within two of Major League leader Mookie Betts. The shot by the Indians' third baseman came off a 2-2 two-seamer from Chatwood, who labored with his command and allowed 10 of his 17 batters faced to reach base (six via walk).

Chatwood issued a leadoff walk to Francisco Lindor in the third before surrendering a single to Michael Brantley, setting up the home run from Ramirez that spotted Cleveland a 3-0 lead. That ballooned into a 10-0 advantage in the fifth, when Yonder Alonso delivered a three-run double off lefty Mike Montgomery.

Video: CLE@CHC: Alonso doubles to clear the bases in the 5th

"Ramirez is good. C'mon. This guy is really good," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "[Chatwood] kept throwing that same fastball, and it got into his swing path and, you saw the replay, he crushed it. Ramirez is good, and you can't keep repeating the same pitch in kind of the same area and hope he'll miss it. He's not going to miss it."

Asked what type of pitch he hit for the homer, Ramirez did not miss a beat.

"Home run pitch," quipped the third baseman.

Ramirez ended the night 1-for-2 with three walks (one intentional), improving his season slash line to .297/.394/.617. Ramirez has 14 doubles to go along with his 14 homers, and the switch-hitter has logged more walks (27) than strikeouts (18). His 8.9 percent strikeout rate is the fourth-lowest mark in the Majors, and his 4.2 percent swinging-strike rate is the second-lowest rate in baseball.

"It's impressive watching him," Bauer said. "He walked three times tonight. He didn't get a whole lot of pitches to hit. The one he did get to hit, he didn't [get cheated]. It's fun. It's fun joking around with him. He's a character. But, more than anything, it's fun watching him do what he does on the field."

Video: CLE@CHC: Francona on Bauer's start, offense in win

MOMENT THAT MATTERED
Kipnis' hometown heroics: A trip back home to Chicago usually does Jason Kipnis good, and that held true on Tuesday night. With a host of family and friends in the stands, the Indians' second baseman came through with a key two-run single in the fourth inning, pushing the Tribe ahead, 7-0. Kipnis, who is trying to work his way out of a season-long slump, also drew a walk in the second. For his career, Kipnis has hit .298 (62-for-208) with a .466 slugging percentage in games played in Chicago (Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field) in the regular season and postseason combined.

Video: CLE@CHC: Kipnis singles in a pair to pad the lead

MELK DELIVERY
In his second game with Cleveland, Melky Cabrera contributed both in the batter's box and in the field. The veteran outfielder sparked a three-run outburst in the fourth inning with an RBI double down the left-field line, marking his first hit as a member of the Indians. In the fifth, Cabrera gloved a single by Albert Almora Jr. in right field, spun and fired a pinpoint throw to second, cutting down the runner before he could notch a double. It marked Cabrera's second outfield assist in as many games.

Video: CLE@CHC: Cabrera doubles in Brantley to extend lead

"He's very accurate throwing the ball, as we've seen two games in a row," Francona said. "And he's a professional hitter. We saw him tonight flip over to the right side and get a base hit. So, hopefully he can settle in a little bit, whether it's playing right field or pinch-hitting, and help us a little bit."

Video: CLE@CHC: Cabrera throws out Almora at second base

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Alonso set the tone in the field for the Tribe in the first inning, when Ben Zobrist sent Bauer's second pitch of the game sharply up the first-base line. Alonso dove and snared the ball near the chalk line, scrambled to his feet and then hustled to beat the runner. The first baseman dove and slapped the bag with his glove to record the frame's first out in highlight fashion.

"That's huge," Bauer said. "It changes the game. You get a guy on for a second, and the complexion of the game changes -- more pitches, et cetera. Maybe the game turns out differently if he doesn't make that play."

Video: CLE@CHC: Alonso makes a diving stop to rob Zobrist

SOUND SMART
Bauer went 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three appearances against the Cubs in the 2016 World Series, but the righty has excelled against the North Siders otherwise. In three career regular-season starts against Chicago, Bauer is 3-0 with a 0.46 ERA (one earned run in 19 2/3 innings).

UP NEXT
Right-hander Adam Plutko (1-0, 3.68 ERA) will come up from Triple-A Columbus to assume the fifth spot in the rotation for Wednesday's 8:05 p.m. ET MLB Network Showcase game against the Cubs, the finale of the two-game set at Wrigley Field. In seven starts at Triple-A this year, Plutko posted a 2.25 ERA in 44 innings. Chicago will counter with left-hander Jon Lester (4-1, 2.52).

HOUSTON -- Excuse Brandon Crawford if he's a little overbearing and over the top at the next family gathering with his brother-in-law, Gerrit Cole. Crawford will have a lot to talk about, and with good reason.

On Tuesday in the fifth inning of the Giants' 11-2 loss to the Astros, the red-hot San Francisco shortstop took Houston's Cole deep into, of all places, the Crawford Boxes in left field at Minute Maid Park.

"We don't talk about [facing each other] a whole lot, especially our at-bats." Crawford said. "We'll talk about baseball plenty, but we don't talk about our at-bats a lot."

Crawford's opposite-field two-run home run, his fifth of the season, cut the Houston lead to 5-2. In the second inning, Crawford's single off Cole extended his hitting streak to nine games. Crawford is 18-for-32 (.563) during his streak, and 6-for-20 lifetime against Cole.

Video: SF@HOU: Cole on Crawford's homer, sending game cleats

"The first time I faced him in my debut, he broke a bat and got a hit or broke a bat and got an out. He signed it and sent it over to me," Cole said. "I signed the pair of cleats that I pitched [in] tonight and I wrote [Giants announcer Duane] Kuiper's call, 'Outta here!' on the one, and then [Jon] Miller's 'Adios, pelota!' on the other one. I sent it over, try to have a little fun."

Cole is married to Crawford's sister, Amy, a former softball player whom he met on his first day of college at UCLA.

LOS ANGELES - Batting orders say a lot about the Dodgers, especially seeing Chris Taylor batting sixth and Yasiel Puig batting seventh in a lineup without Corey Seager.

But both continued to show signs on Tuesday night that their 2017 form is returning, slugging back-to-back homers to power the Dodgers to a 5-3 comeback win over the Rockies.

The victory pulled the fourth-place Dodgers to within 4 1/2 games of the first-place Rockies, their smallest deficit in the National League West since April 23. The Dodgers have won five of their last six games.

"The series sweep in D.C. was huge for our confidence, and now we know we're a good team," Taylor said, referring to the weekend sweep of the Nationals. "We're going to turn things around eventually, and now we can go out there and play free and easy, the way we're capable of playing."

Taylor's two-run shot to left-center, his sixth of the year, was followed by Puig's shot to left, his fifth, all in his last eight games. Both players homered off Bryan Shaw sliders.

Video: COL@LAD: Taylor, Roberts on Dodgers' offense in win

Taylor and Puig were key contributors to last year's potent offense, but both are off to slow starts in 2018, with Taylor's OPS .754 and Puig's .687. Tuesday's homer was Taylor's first since May 4, although he's batting .303 in his last 10 games. Last year, the pair combined for 49 homers, with Taylor's OPS 850, Puig's .833

"It's been a grind for Chris. I know this is a weight off his shoulders," said manager Dave Roberts, who added that Taylor's return to the leadoff spot is only a matter of time.

All five of Puig's home runs have come after a 10-day stint on the disabled list, ostensibly for a bruised hip and toe, but also a chance for him to reset from an awful start to the season.

"I go to [the club's Arizona training facility], practice my swing, do everything I can do to help myself and get back to the team and play well," said Puig.

"He's getting his 'A' swing off more frequently," Roberts said of Puig.

Shaw took over in the sixth for Rockies starter Chad Bettis, who allowed two runs in the first inning and no hits the next four.

"The first one was very bad," Shaw said. "That's the pitch that, in your head you go, 'Please, don't hit it out of the park.' The second one was good. It was down, just a little more middle. With Puig, that's where his spot is. If I throw that four inches on the outer half, he pops out."

Video: COL@LAD: Desmond singles in Story for the lead

The Dodgers hoped to set the tone in a two-run, 34-pitch first inning against Bettis. A double by Justin Turner and an RBI single by Matt Kemp scored the first run. Kemp was doubled to third by Cody Bellinger, who rocketed a bouncer between the legs of first baseman Ian Desmond. Taylor and Puig walked on 3-2 counts to score the second run.

Colorado responded with Desmond's two-out solo shot in the second inning, then parlayed two-out singles from Charlie Blackmon, Gerardo Parra and Nolan Arenado in the third inning to tie the game at 2. Dodgers starter Brock Stewart escaped further trouble when Trevor Story was green-lighted 3-0 and flied out.

"When we're good, we get a lead and lose it, we come back, and that's what we did tonight," said Roberts. Stewart -- recalled for a spot-start necessitated by Saturday's doubleheader that doubled as a rotation tryout -- pitched evenly, charged with two runs on five hits in four innings that required 63 pitches. It was Stewart's fourth callup this season, the third this month. Roberts praised Stewart's willingness to do what's asked and said he did well enough "to get another opportunity."

"Someone's got to be that guy, up and down, here and there, helping out the team," Stewart said of his nomad role. "I'm happy to do it. Every outing in the big leagues for me, until I'm a mainstay, every outing is an audition for sure. It's exhausting, but I have everything in perspective. Not a huge deal."

Video: COL@LAD: Stewart strikes out Bettis in the 3rd

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
After allowing a one-out double to Chris Iannetta in the ninth inning that brought up the tying run, Kenley Jansen got pinch-hitters David Dahl and Pat Valaika on a groundout and strikeout to earn his ninth save. In his last 14 innings, Jansen has 13 strikeouts and has allowed one earned run.

Video: COL@LAD: Jansen fans Valaika to save the Dodgers' win

SOUND SMART
Kemp cashed in Justin Turner's first-inning double with an RBI single and is hitting an MLB-leading .471 (16-for-34) with runners in scoring position. Kemp also preceded Taylor's homer with a leadoff single.

"Coming up through the Minor Leagues and my earlier days with the Dodgers, they always concentrated on hitting with runners in scoring position and getting ribbies," Kemp said. "I try to lock in and get the big hits."

Video: COL@LAD: Kemp singles in Turner to open the scoring

HE SAID IT
"Mom was giving me a hard time. She said when I was young and would dive for a ball, I would glide. Now I plop and stick. This time I made sure, I looked at the Jumbotron to see if I was gliding." -- Kemp, on utilizing defensive tips from his mother on a diving catch of Story's second-inning liner

Video: COL@LAD: Kemp makes running grab to Puig's delight

UP NEXT
Kenta Maeda will start Wednesday night's 7:10 PT series finale against the Rockies and lefty Kyle Freeland. Maeda is coming off a masterpiece of a two-hit shutout for eight innings in Miami. In seven career games against Colorado, the right-hander has a 0.88 WHIP.

ST. PETERSBURG -- Willy Adames didn't take long to make an impression in The Show during the Rays' 4-2 loss to the Red Sox on Tuesday night.

The highly touted shortstop, who is ranked as the organization's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, homered in his second at-bat, taking Boston ace Chris Sale deep to left field in the fourth inning to get Tampa Bay on the board and cut the Red Sox's lead to 3-1. Wearing No. 1, Adames started at shortstop, batting fifth.

"It was amazing," Adames said. "When you see all those guys on TV, then you come here and hit a bomb against Sale. Amazing. I can't tell you how happy I am right now, other than not getting the win."

Tweet from @RaysBaseball: Same, @willya02. Same.#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/G5JiEuRQZT

And it almost didn't happen -- Adames arrived about 30 minutes before game time. 

"They told me at 1:20 that I had a flight at 2:50, so I missed the first flight," Adames said. "I took the other [flight] at 3:30, and it was pretty crazy -- I got here late, too."

• Willy Adames missed his first flight

Adames became the fifth Rays player to homer in his Major League debut, joining Brandon Guyer, Elijah Dukes, Delmon Young and Brent Abernathy.

"That was pretty special for him," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "The home run, the at-bats, the intensity. ... That's the second guy here recently who has come up between him and Christian Arroyo, who have definitely looked the part with the confidence and it's good to see."

Adames was acquired in the trade that sent left-hander David Price to the Tigers in July 2014. On Wednesday night, Adames will be in the lineup to face Price, who is Boston's scheduled starter.

"I'm really excited about it, because that's the guy I got traded for," Adames said. "I wanted to face him as soon as I got traded. So tomorrow's the day."

Video: Must C Classic: Adames hits HR off Sale for first hit

In 40 games at Triple-A Durham this season, Adames hit .311/.387/.466 with four home runs. In '17, he hit .277/.360/.415 with 10 homers and 11 steals in 130 games for Durham. Cash told reporters that Adames will likely return to Durham after several days with the team. Adames said he understood.

"That's part of the business, I guess," Adames said. "I'm just trying to do my thing over here. Trying to do my job, trying to do my best, trying to help the team win."

At 22 years and 262 days, Adames became the youngest positional player to make his Major League debut for the Rays since outfielder Wil Myers on June 18, 2013, in Boston and the youngest infielder since Reid Brignac on July 4, 2008, against Kansas City. Adames is the third-youngest active player in the American League behind Gleyber Torres (21 years, 160 days) and Rafael Devers (21 years, 210 days).

Video: BOS@TB: Cash and Adames discuss his MLB debut

Adames allowed that the home run "calmed me down a little bit."

"Because I was a little nervous in the first inning," he said.

Other than the home run, Adames had three strikeouts swinging. He played well in the field, starting two double plays and turning the pivot on another.

Video: BOS@TB: Adames starts the 6-4-3 double play

Tuesday's move became necessary when Joey Wendle was put on the paternity list as he and his wife, Lindsay, became the parents of a baby boy.

"Well, first and foremost, congrats to Joey and Lindsay Wendle, baby boy, all good from what we're understanding, that's exciting," Cash said. "I think kind of the perfect time. Joey's a smart player. He ducks out when Sale and Price were pitching. That was a great idea on his part.

Video: BOS@TB: Robertson turns, Adames fires to first for DP

"But it presented an opportunity for Willy to come up here. He's going to play two or three of the next days. I'm not sure how long Joey's going to be gone, but anticipate definitely today and tomorrow. And then we'll kind of see where we go from there. And then Willy's going to go back."

Rays starting shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria is also unavailable, as he landed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring sustained in a game against the Angels last Thursday.

Leading up to when the first pick by the Detroit Tigers is announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred shortly after 7 p.m. ET on Monday, June 4, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo will be working the phones, texting and emailing decision-makers in the scouting industry. Along the way, they hear a lot of rumors, buzz, talk of guys with helium and guys sliding. They will bring that information to everyone here in MLBPipeline.com's Draft Buzz.

Heading into this spring, one of the strengths of the 2018 Draft class appeared to be high school pitching, with a number of high-ceiling arms in consideration for the top half of the first round. But that deep pool was hit by a number of injuries that left more questions than certainties in what is already the highest-risk group of Draft prospects.

:: Complete prospect coverage ::

On Tuesday, a pair of those hurt high school right-handers returned to the mound to try to answer those questions. In Florida, Mason Denaburg, No. 20 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Draft prospects list, was actually making his second appearance since being out for an extended period with a biceps issue. But that first outing, on May 16, was brief and interrupted by rain, with scouts more or less giving him a mulligan.

Tuesday was different. Facing powerhouse American Heritage and potential first-rounder Triston Casas, the right-hander went six scoreless innings and struck out nine, including Casas twice. But one scouting executive on hand summed it up succinctly when asked how Denaburg looked: "Healthy," he said.

Denaburg threw his fastball in the 87-94 mph range and was able to throw a full allotment of offspeed stuff. His changeup was particularly solid, though he was a bit more inconsistent with his breaking ball. His curve ranged from below average to above average at different times, which is not all that surprising given his time away from the mound.

"He for sure put people more at ease by going six innings," a scout in attendance said.

Meanwhile in New England, fellow right-hander Mike Vasil (No. 21 on the Top 100) made his first appearance since walking off the mound in April holding his elbow. On a strict pitch count of 50, Vasil made the most of it, striking out six in four scoreless frames.

Video: Draft Report: Mike Vasil, HS pitcher

Vasil threw his fastball in the 90-95 mph range and sat around 92 mph. Like Denaburg, his changeup was very effective, flashing plus, while his curveball was more fringe-average.

Before the injuries, both pitchers' names were moving up boards and could have even snuck into top 10 pick conversations. While throwing well on Tuesday certainly will help both their stocks, teams will have to be comfortable with the medical information they are provided to decide to take them early. -- Jonathan Mayo