“I think everybody had a lot of faith that this was coming,” manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s fun to see because this is what makes a good team. This is what makes a good offense, is that Ian can kind of be not clicking, and then he gets clicking and it wins you a game.”

The Cubs are close to getting their ace back. Shota Imanaga tossed two innings in a rehab start at the Arizona Complex League on Monday night. The lefty struck out four and allowed just one hit while tossing around 25 pitches. The team wanted him to get to 40 on the evening, so he immediately threw another 15 in a bullpen after his outing.

Cubs fourth. Ian Happ strikes out swinging. Kyle Tucker singles to center field. Seiya Suzuki pops out to second base to Adam Frazier. Pete Crow-Armstrong homers to center field. Kyle Tucker

WASHINGTON — As soon as Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner completed the tag on the Nationals’ Robert Hassell III, his right hand shot up. He popped up and pointed to left fielder Ian Happ, who slapped his glove in celebration.

Happ went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Monday's 4-3, extra-innings loss to the Phillies. Happ hit a game-tying home run in the eighth inning, his fifth of the year and second in his last five games,