WASHINGTON -- Kris Bryant and the Chicago Cubs saved their best for last -- bad news for a Nationals bullpen that's having a hard enough time as it is.

Bryant matched a career high with three home runs and drove in five while the Cubs piled on against Washington's bullpen in a 14-6 win Friday night.

Bryant went deep in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, making him the 12th player to homer in three straight innings.

"It's tied for first, I guess. I don't know. The other [three-homer game] in Cincinnati was great. I had one more hit there," Bryant said. "It was just a great night all around. Myself, a lot of the rest of us had great at-bats."

Bryant finished with four hits and extended his on-base streak to 26 games, a career best and the longest active run in the majors.

"We have seen him hit the ball consistently harder over the last two or three weeks," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He looks like he [did] a couple of years ago, and he is also reacting with the same kind of confidence. It's a good thing to watch right now."

Albert Almora Jr., Kyle Schwarber and Willson Contreras also homered to help the NL Central-leading Cubs (26-16) snap a two-game skid. Javier Baez extended the majors' longest hitting streak to 15 games.

Contreras also had four hits. His ninth-inning homer off Matt Grace capped an 11-run barrage for the Cubs against the Nationals' beleaguered bullpen.

Schwarber broke open a one-run game in the eighth with a two-run homer against Kyle Barraclough that concluded a 13-pitch at-bat. Bryant followed two pitches later with his 10th homer.

"The bullpen holds us, different ballgame," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "They just couldn't do it tonight."

Chicago starter Cole Hamels (4-0) won for the fourth time in five starts. The left-hander tossed five effective innings, squirming out of two bases-loaded jams, as the Cubs improved to 7-2 in his nine starts this season.

The only damage Hamels allowed was a two-run home run to Anthony Rendon in the third inning.

Washington (18-26) has yet to win three in a row this season and has dropped all six of Max Scherzer's home starts.

Scherzer (2-5) struggled with his command over six innings. He walked a season-high four and gave up a two-run homer to Almora, his fourth of the season, in the second. Scherzer also struck out eight before exiting.

Trea Turner went 2-for-5 in his return from a broken right index finger that kept the Nationals shortstop out of the lineup for 38 games.

Almora made a diving catch in center field to rob Juan Soto of a hit in the ninth inning.

SLOW STARTERS

The Nationals fell to 2-13 in series openers this season.

"We're just not getting the job done," second baseman Brian Dozier said. "We preached, 'Gotta win the first game.' But at the same time, we haven't done a good job at that. There's no better way to fix that than to just start winning them."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: 1B Anthony Rizzo (back) returned to the lineup after missing four games and went 1-for-5 with a strikeout and run scored.

Nationals: OF Victor Robles was hit on the left wrist by a pitch and left the game in the fourth inning. Martinez said Robles had a contusion on the wrist, but X-rays were negative ... RHP Justin Miller suffered a rotator-cuff strain in his brief relief appearance and will likely undergo an MRI Saturday ... RHP Anibal Sanchez was placed on the 10-day injured list (strained left hamstring)

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Jon Lester (3-1, 1.16) has not allowed an earned run in his last three starts. He's 2-2 with a 4.25 ERA in seven career starts against the Nationals.

Nationals: RHP Stephen Strasburg (3-3, 3.63) has lost his last two starts. He is 1-1 with a 2.23 ERA in six career starts against the Cubs.

NEW YORK -- Barely a week after an at times contentious series against division rival Tampa Bay, Yankees starter CC Sabathia appeared to have a few choice words Friday for the Rays as he pitched against them in the opener of a pivotal mid-May matchup.

Twice after he walked off the mound during this latest outing, Sabathia was caught by cameras shouting.

The first time, he appeared to be yelling toward his own dugout. As he sauntered across the first-base line in the middle of the fifth, moments after throwing a pitch to Rays designated hitter Austin Meadows that missed far inside, Sabathia appeared to say, "I was definitely trying to hit his ass."

An inning later, after striking out Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe swinging, Sabathia appeared to turn in the direction of Tampa Bay's dugout and shout some more words.

After the Yankees won 4-3 on Gio Urshela's walk-off single in the ninth, Sabathia said he remembered saying something in the Rays' direction in the sixth but didn't recall the exact words.

"Just excited about the game," Sabathia said. "We're playing for first place."

With the win, the Yankees overtook the Rays for first place in the American League East. It's the first time since April 1 that anyone other than the Rays has led the division.

Sabathia's apparent chippy on-field demeanor came after a few tense moments in his previous start, which came against the Rays last Saturday at Tropicana Field.

In the top of the sixth of that game, Yankees first baseman Luke Voit was hit by a pitch that was up and in. Plunked for the fifth time this season and second time in barely a week, Voit was enraged. He was upset in part because he was hit one batter after DJ LeMahieu had homered off Rays reliever Yonny Chirinos.

"It's frustrating," Voit said after last Saturday's game. "He can hit me anywhere else. This one is up and in. It's a situation that can be career-ending. He's a sinkerballer, and that was pretty straight."

Sabathia was among those who did not hide his displeasure when Voit was asked to take his base.

Sabathia, who departed the game the half inning prior, came out of the Yankees' dugout and shouted across the field to the Rays. It was a scene reminiscent of his previous start at Tropicana Field in September.

During his final start last regular season, Sabathia hit then-Rays catcher Jesus Sucre after his own catcher, Austin Romine, had been thrown behind the previous half inning. Sabathia was ejected for throwing the errant pitch and suspended the first five games this season because of it. When he walked off the mound that time, he also shouted an obscenity in the direction of Tampa Bay's dugout.

"It's just the same thing, you hit a home run and then they throw up and in," Sabathia said just after his start last weekend. "It's stupid."

On Friday, he said whatever emotion he demonstrated during this latest start was not a carryover from the previous game.

Asked whether he thought Sabathia had more of an edge than normal in Friday's six-inning, six-hit, one-run, four-strikeout outing, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said no.

"CC's always got a little bit of an edge," Boone said. "He gets between the lines. He's an awesome competitor. You're going up against a good club, and he went out and set the tone really well to start off this series."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers reliever Shawn Kelley had two lumps surgically removed from his throat this week.

Kelly says an initial biopsy on the lumps was inconclusive, so doctors removed the "decent-sized" lumps on Thursday. The 35-year-old was put on the injured list May 9, five days after he last pitched.

Kelly says he noticed the issue early this season. He had the lumps checked this month after they got bigger and bothersome while trying to sleep.

He's awaiting the results, but on Saturday said he feels great and is ready to return to pitching.

Kelley is 3-0 with two saves and a 1.29 ERA in 14 appearances in his first season with the Rangers.

American duo enjoy thrilling early-season 100m clash at Diamond League while Abderrahman Samba wins big 400m hurdles head-to-head

The men’s 100m at the Diamond League in Shanghai saw a classic contrast of styles between two sprinters who were, ultimately, separated by a photo finish. Christian Coleman, the world indoor record-holder for 60m, produced a bullet start to build a clear lead, but he was dramatically run down by fellow American Noah Lyles – a fast-finishing and rangier 200m specialist.

Both runners clocked 9.86 (+0.9). Yet the verdict was given to Lyles by six thousandths of a second as Akani Simbine of South Africa clocked 9.95 in third and Britain’s Reece Prescod 9.97 in his first 100m of the year.

The IAAF World Championships in Doha is more than four months away but this was an early-season chance to gain a psychological edge. When introduced to the crowd Coleman looked pensive and raised his left arm – which is tattooed with the Olympic rings – to acknowledge the crowd. More of a showman, Lyles drew an imaginary handgun from a mock holster, fired and blew the muzzle like a cowboy in a Wild West shoot-out.

The subsequent race did not disappoint. All of the nine starters possessed a sub-10-second PB, including Bingtian Su, the big home nation hope, although the Chinese athlete could do no better than fifth in 10.05 as he narrowly beat fellow countryman Zhenye Xie.

The men’s 100m was not the only mouth-watering clash on the programme either. Abderrahman Samba won a much-anticipated 400m hurdles head-to-head with Rai Benjamin as the Qatari ran a meeting record of 47.27 to beat the American’s 47.80.

During 2018 Samba clocked 46.98, whereas Benjamin ran 47.02 to win the NCAA title. The times placed them No.2 and No.4 on the world all-time rankings (Kevin Young and Ed Moses are No.1 and No.3) but the duo had never raced before.

Benjamin held a narrow lead in the home straight but Samba proved too strong as he surged away in the final metres. Behind, Ireland’s Thomas Barr ran 49.41 in third.

“It was a great race and Rai and I pushed each other to the line,” said Samba, who will be going for global gold on home soil in Doha later this year.

Andreas Hofmann threw a world lead in the javelin of 87.55m in a quality contest that saw Taiwanese athlete Chao-Tsun Cheng throw 87.12 for a close second place, while the women’s javelin saw a win for Lyu Huihui on home soil with 66.89m.

The men’s 5000m featured a strong field, too, with Yomif Kejelcha running a 53.3 last lap to see off Selemon Barega in a world lead of 13:04.16 as Hagos Gebrhiwet completed an Ethiopian one-two-three and world cross champion Joshua Cheptegei came in seventh.

Elsewhere, Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain ran 50.65 to beat US talent Sydney McLaughlin in the 400m. Still only 19 and a 400m hurdles specialist, McLaughlin ran 50.78.

There was a Canadian one-two in the men’s 200m as Aaron Brown clocked 20.07 to beat Andre De Grasse’s 20.21 while Britain’s Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake ran 20.60 in fifth.

Rababe Arafe of Morocco ran 4:01.15 to win the women’s 1500m from Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia as Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands wound up fifth. Beatrice Chepkoech took the women’s steeplechase comfortably from fellow Kenyan Celliphine Chespol in 9:04.52.

There were some early-season turn-ups as well. Aleia Hobbs of the United States took the women’s 100m in 11.03 (+0.2) – beating a strong field that included Blessing Okagbare (11.07) and Olympic champion Elaine Thompson (11.14).

“I fractured my wrist two weeks ago playing laser tag,” revealed Hobbs. “Someone ran into me – it was a total accident. Fortunately, I have not missed too much training.”

Chase Ealey also caused an upset as she took the shot put with 19.58m to beat, among others, Lijiao Gong – the world champion throwing 19.44m on home soil to finish runner-up.

“I’ve changed coaches (to Ryan Whiting) and changed to the rotational technique 10 months ago and I feel that has made the difference,” said Ealey.

Omar McLeod was uncertain whether to compete following the death of his aunt, but the Jamaican toed the line in the 110m hurdles and was in tears after clocking 13.12 to beat Wenjun Xie, Sergey Shubenkov and Orlando Ortega as Britain’s Andy Pozzi placed sixth in 13.39.

“I asked myself what would she want?” said McLeod. “And she would want me to race. It was hard but I just wanted to finish, win and get the job done.”

In the women’s pole vault, meanwile, Katerina Stefanidi of Greece cleared 4.72m to win on countback from Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou, Ling Li and Sandi Morris. Britain’s Holly Bradshaw went over 4.42m but failed at 4.52m, though.

Great Britain's men's wheelchair tennis team stunned Japan to reach the final of the BNP Paribas World Team Cup.

Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett each won 6-4 7-5, helping them and team-mate Dermot Bailey past the top seeds.

They face France on Saturday and will ensure Britain end the tournament with a record-equalling three medals.

Great Britain's junior team leave the event with silver after a final defeat to Australia, while the women's team won bronze against South Africa.

The women's team of Jordanne Whiley, Mariska Shuker, Louise Hunt and Cornelia Oosthuizen started quickly when Whiley overcame Mariska Venter 6-4 6-1 and progressed when Shuker's opponent retired injured in the deciding set of their match.

The junior quartet of Dahnon Ward, Gregory Slade, Ben Bartram and Ruby Bishop had their hopes of gold dashed when doubles pairing Bartram and Ward lost 14-12 in the deciding match tie break.

Not since 2012 have Great Britain ended the tournament with three medals and it could have been four but for a 2-1 defeat for the quad team of Andy Lapthorne, Antony Cotterill and James Shaw against South Africa on Friday.

The World Team Cup is the wheelchair tennis equivalent of the Fed Cup and Davis Cup competitions, with teams from 23 nations taking part in the finals in Ramat Hasharon, Israel.

The men's final between Great Britain and France will see Reid and Hewett face off against Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer, the duo who beat them in the Rio 2016 Paralympic final.