Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff homer for the second straight game and the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-2 on Monday night.

Will Smith also went deep for the Dodgers, who bounced back after dropping two of three games in New York to the Mets.

Los Angeles’ first five hitters accounted for seven of its eight hits.

Ohtani didn’t waste any time in hitting his major league-leading 19th homer of the season. He drove a fastball from Gavin Williams (4-3) on the first pitch into the right-field stands.

It was Ohtani’s fifth leadoff homer this season and 17th since arriving in the majors from Japan in 2018.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-3) allowed two runs in six innings and struck out seven. The Japanese right-hander has a 1.97 ERA, which ranks sixth in the majors.

Cubs 3, Rockies 1: Jameson Taillon pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning, Kyle Tucker drove in two runs and NL Central-leading Chicago beat visiting Colorado.

The Rockies lost for the eighth time in nine games, dropping to a major league-worst 9-45.

Taillon (4-3) retired his first 14 batters before Mickey Moniak connected in the fifth, driving a changeup deep to right-center for his fifth homer.

The big right-hander struck out seven and walked none in 6 1/3 innings.

Mets 2, White Sox 1: Tyrone Taylor hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth inning and scored on Francisco Lindor’s sacrifice fly as New York mounted a late comeback to edge Chicago.

New York managed just two baserunners through the first six innings against Adrian Houser and left the bases loaded in the seventh before Juan Soto delivered a tying sacrifice fly in the eighth.

The Mets won their third straight game since dropping six of eight.

Mets starter Clay Holmes gave up one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Orioles 5, Cardinals 2: Dylan Carlson hit a three-run homer, Charlie Morton earned his first victory with Baltimore, and the host Orioles achieved their first three-game winning streak of the season, beating St. Louis.

Carlson’s drive in the fourth off Erick Fedde (3-4) put the Orioles up 5-0.

Morton (1-7) took a shutout into the fifth before allowing a two-run shot by Pedro Pagés. The 41-year-old right-hander, who signed with Baltimore in the offseason, allowed four hits in six innings after losing his first six starts.

Reds 7, Royals 4: Nick Martinez worked seven strong innings and Tyler Stephenson homered to lead Cincinnati at Kansas City.

Martinez (3-5) allowed three singles through six shutout innings and finished seven innings allowing three runs on six hits and no walks.

Blue Jays 2, Rangers 1: Kevin Gausman struck out six over eight strong innings, Daulton Varsho homered and visiting Toronto edged Texas.

Gausman (5-4) didn’t walk a batter, giving up one run and five hits.

Jacob deGrom (4-2) lost for the first time in his last seven starts, and didn’t have a strikeout in 5 1/3 innings. He didn’t strike out a batter for the first time in 229 career starts.