MLB Nightly 9: Bryce Harper bashes 10th HR in last 12 games; Nelson Cruz hits No. 16

Alec Brzezinski

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MLB Nightly 9: Bryce Harper bashes 10th HR in last 12 games; Nelson Cruz hits No. 16 image

Each night we'll provide you with the nine top story lines from the day's action, beginning with the stars of the day, and look ahead to the next day's matchups.

Bryce Harper must have really taken umbrage with, once again, being voted MLB's most overrated player by his peers. The 22-year-old Nationals slugger clubbed his 10th home run in his last 12 games Tuesday night  and is leading his team back into form. For all of Harper's success in the past few weeks, though, he still trails Seattle's Nelson Cruz in the MLB home run race. Cruz belted his 16th long ball of the season and now has an AL-leading 33 RBIs.

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More highlights from Tuesday’s games:

Impact performers

C — Caleb Joseph, Orioles: Joseph went 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs in a 9-4 win against the Mariners. He continues to fill in ably for the injured Matt Wieters.

1B — Mike Napoli, Red Sox:  Napoli has been abysmal at the plate, but finally stepped up with a 2-for-4 game in a big win against the Rangers. He homered and drove in two runs.

2B — Josh Harrison, Pirates: Harrison went 3 for 4 with a run and an RBI as he continues to emerge from a slump.

SS — Ian Desmond, Nationals: Desmond went 2 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs Tuesday, but he's still struggling with a .244/.297/.369 slash line this season.

3B — Maikel Franco, Phillies: Franco continues to impress since his recent promotion. He went 3 for 4 with a run and three RBIs against the Rockies.

OF — Carlos Gomez, Brewers: Gomez continued his hot hitting with a 3-for-5 effort. He also scored a run, drove in two and stole a base.

DH — Ryan Braun, Brewers: Braun was a Tiger killer. He started the team's run of back-to-back-to-back homers with a three-run shot in the third. He finished 2 for 5 with four RBIs.

SP — Jason Hammel, Cubs: Hammel allowed two runs (both unearned) over seven innings against the Padres. He walked none and struck out eight while lowering his ERA to 2.70.

Key injuries

The Tigers placed designated hitter Victor Martinez on the 15-day disabled list with left knee inflammation.

Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth was placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to May 16, with a left wrist contusion.

The Rockies placed outfielder Corey Dickerson on the 15-day DL with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Padres outfielder Wil Myers was placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to May 11, with tendinitis in his left wrist.

Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury left Tuesday's game vs. the Nationals with a right knee sprain and was later placed on the 15-day DL.

Surprise performers

Good: Yordano Ventura: The Royals came into the season hoping Ventura would replace James Shields as the team's ace, but it's been a struggle for Ventura in his sophomore season — until Tuesday. Ventura spun seven scoreless innings and struck out six Reds to even his record at 3-3.

Bad: Francisco Liriano: The 31-year-old lefty was shelled for seven earned runs in two innings against the Twins. Liriano started the season strong, but wasn't receiving any run support. He has no ground to complain about that Tuesday.

Web gems

This fan looks like he's done this before:

The Mariners' Seth Smith became the third player this year to hit a home run and take away a home run in the same game.

Denard Span covers a lot of ground on this diving grab:

Kris Bryant flashes the leather:

Facts of the day

Harper's 10 home runs in his last 12 games are more than nine teams have had since May 6.

The Cardinals improved to 8-0 when Michael Wacha starts with a 10-2 rout over the Mets.

Ryan Zimmerman is one of baseball's most clutch hitters :

The Royals beat the Reds 3-0 for their first consecutive shutouts since 1992.

Reactions

Pedro Alvarez provides an unlikely souvenir:

The Brewers go back-to-back-to-back:

Off the field

Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes said Tuesday his rib injury will "probably" linger all season. Reyes has been on the disabled list since April 27 because of a cracked rib.

Rafael Furcal announced his retirement Tuesday. The 37-year-old shortstop finished his career with a .281/.346/.402 lifetime slash line.

Dodgers infielder Hector Olivera finalized a six-year, $62.5 million contract. The deal was agreed to in late March, but Olivera, a Cuban defector, had to secure a work visa and then take a physical. 

Scores

American League

Angles 3, Blue Jays 2
Red Sox 4, Rangers 3
Orioles 9, Mariners 4
Indians 3, White Sox 1
Astros 6, Athletics 4

National League

Cardinals 10, Mets 2
Diamondbacks 4, Marlins 2
Rockies 6, Phillies 5
Padres 4, Cubs 3
Giants 2, Dodgers 0

Interleague

Brewers 8, Tigers 1
Rays 5, Braves 3
Twins 8, Pirates 5
Royals 3, Reds 0
Nationals 8, Yankees 6, 10 innings

A look ahead

The three best games Wednesday (all times Eastern):

Athletics (14-26) at Astros (25-14), 2:10 p.m.: The Astros' bats have been hot, and they're always worth watching when ace pitcher Dallas Keuchel (5-0, 1.87 ERA in eight starts) is on the mound.

Yankees (22-18) at Nationals (23-17), 7:05 p.m.: New York will be without center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who was placed on the DL after spraining a knee Tuesday night. Jordan Zimmermann (3-2, 3.66 ERA) will take the mound for Washington; he has seven quality starts in eight games this year.

Brewers (15-25) at Tigers (23-17), 7:08 p.m.: It wasn't long ago that the hapless Brewers were struggling to win a game. Now, they're in position to complete a sweep on the road. Detroit is close to being in real trouble. The pitching staff isn't getting the job done, and the loss of DH Victor Martinez to the DL is a blow to the lineup.

Alec Brzezinski