Kyle Hendricks got a big boost from the offense before he took the mound, thanks to a three-run first, as the Cubs beat the Padres, 6-3, on Wednesday at Petco Park to sweep the series and improve to 36 games over .500 for the first time since 1945, when they finished that season at 98-56.

Yu can do anything.

Masahiro Tanaka threw seven shutout innings and Gary Sanchez homered yet again in the Yankees’ 5-0 victory over the Mariners Wednesday afternoon to close the series in Seattle. With its second consecutive win, New York took the three-game set.

Hisashi Iwakuma has a knack for turning in good outings even when he’s not at his sharpest. He did so again in Wednesday’s game, turning a two-run deficit after two innings into a quality start.

As if the monstrous upper-deck home run on the first pitch he saw or the scalded double down the left-field line, or the two homers in the first game of this series weren’t enough, the first thing the traveling band of Yankees reporters wanted to hear about was how a 23-year-old catcher with 21 games of Major League experience could get walked intentionally twice in one game.

Designated hitter Nelson Cruz left the Mariners’ 5-0 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday afternoon in the eighth inning with back spasms.

Ryan Braun continued a productive August by belting a pair of home runs, and the Brewers finished a three-game sweep of the Rockies with a 7-1 win on Wednesday afternoon at Miller Park.

The Indians traveled to the Coliseum this week with a chance to pick up some wins against an A’s team that has struggled all season. Cleveland did not expect to run into the kind of pitching it did in Oakland, where the A’s took two of three in the series after a 5-1 win on Wednesday afternoon.

More than one month remains in the regular season, but the National League home run race between the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado and Cubs’ Kris Bryant gained steam over the past week. The jockeying continued on Wednesday as Arenado hit his 34th homer of the season in a 7-1 loss to the Brewers, breaking the tie atop the league leaderboard.

Thirteen months into his Mets tenure, Yoenis Cespedes continues to speak about New York as his long-term home. But Cespedes on Wednesday contradicted the notion that he has decided to honor all three years of his current contract, saying only that his hope is to remain with the Mets.

It was a strike, of course.

Rain prevented on-field activities, but it didn’t douse the spirits Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field. Rather than running the bases, a contingent of youth players from the White Sox Amateur City Elite (ACE) and Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) programs rotated through five educational stations set up on the main concourse instead, all part of the 2016 National PLAY Campaign’s tour.

Jose Bautista will come off the 15-day disabled list and make his return to the Blue Jays’ lineup for Thursday’s game against the Angels.

Fighting to keep their spot in a crowded American League Wild Card picture, the Astros did exactly what they needed to during a seven-game swing through Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Coming off a series victory over the Orioles, the Astros claimed another over the Pirates with Wednesday’s 5-4 win at PNC Park, their fifth win in six games.

Perhaps the biggest sigh of relief for Astros pitcher Ken Giles wasn’t that the laser hit back up the middle by Matt Joyce in the ninth inning Wednesday didn’t take his head off. It was that shortstop Carlos Correa was in just the right spot.

Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association on Wednesday announced a joint commitment of $5 million for the support and creation of baseball development programs in Puerto Rico.

A contrite Billy Butler addressed the media on Wednesday for the first time since a clubhouse fight with Danny Valencia last Friday left him with a concussion, expressing remorse for his role in the altercation while also saying he believes he can co-exist with Valencia moving forward.