CLEVELAND -- It was wild. It was crazy. But it was a much-needed win for the Cleveland Indians.

"That's not how we drew it up," quipped Indians manager Terry Francona. "So much in that game was peculiar. There were a lot of balls going every which way."

Francisco Lindor's RBI single capped a three-run bottom of the ninth inning as the Cleveland Indians rallied for a wild 7-6 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night at Progressive Field.

Cleveland never led in the game until Lindor's game-winning hit.

Reliever Bryan Shaw (2-4) got the win for Cleveland while Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon (2-4) took the loss.

After Washington scored a run in the top of the ninth inning to extend its lead to 6-4, Jose Ramirez led off the bottom of the ninth by drawing a walk from Papelbon. Tyler Naquin, pinch hitting for Juan Uribe, lined a double into the gap in left center field, scoring Ramirez to make it 6-5.

"I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit, and stay with my strength," Naquin said.

"That changed the game," Francona said. "We were just trying to extend the inning anyway we could. But that hit changed everything because now they have to play the infield in."

Chris Gimenez laid down an attempted sacrifice bunt. First baseman Ryan Zimmerman fielded the ball, but threw wildly to first for an error. Naquin scored from second on the play, and the game was tied at 6.

"I got to it in plenty of time. I rushed it a little, but obviously that's a play I have to make," Zimmerman said.

"Gimenez got the bunt down, and sometimes good things happen," said Francona.

Lonnie Chisenhall was intentionally walked, and Rajai Davis, attempting another sacrifice bunt, bunted it over the head of a hard-charging third baseman Anthony Rendon. The ball landed in no man's land, on the infield grass, a bunt single that loaded the bases with nobody out.

"It was bunted perfectly. I'm sure he wasn't trying to do that. After that, it was game time," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.

Oliver Perez relieved Papelbon and retired Jason Kipnis on a fly ball to left that wasn't deep enough for Gimenez to score from third. Lindor then slapped a single, his third hit of the game, through the right side, scoring Gimenez with the winning run.

"I was just trying to put the ball in play. I got the barrel to it and was glad it went through," said Lindor.

"You're asking for trouble when you walk the leadoff man," Baker said.

The win snaps a three-game losing streak for the Indians, who won despite committing three errors, including two in the top of the ninth.

The Nationals, who have lost six of their last eight games, took a 5-2 lead with a run in the sixth inning on a solo home run by Wilson Ramos.

Cleveland got a run back in the bottom of the seventh, on a double by Abraham Almonte and an RBI single by Chisenhall that cut the Washington lead to 5-3.

The Indians shaved another run off the Washington lead in the eighth inning, when Kipnis doubled and later scored when Mike Napoli grounded into a double play.

Washington got that run back in the ninth inning, which began with a two-base error by third baseman Uribe, his second error of the game, which put Rendon at second. Zimmerman flied out, and Shaw came on to relieve Austin Adams.

Shaw hit Danny Espinosa with a pitch and gave up an infield single to Ben Revere, loading the bases with one out. Trea Turner hit a sharp groundball to first baseman Napoli, who couldn't handle it and was charged with the Indians' second error of the inning and third of the game.

Rendon scored on the play to extend the lead to 6-4, but the Indians erased that with their rally in the bottom of the ninth.

Both teams scored two runs in the first inning. Washington's runs came on an error by Uribe and an RBI double by Jason Werth. Cleveland's runs scored on a passed ball and a sacrifice fly by Carlos Santana.

Ramos led off the fourth with a double before Rendon belted an 0-2 pitch over the left field wall for a two-run homer, giving Washington a 4-2 lead.

NOTES: Indians OF Michael Brantley, who hasn't appeared in a game since May 9 because of lingering issues after offseason right shoulder surgery, said he is "very confident" he will be back playing again before the end of the season. ... Indians RHP Zach McAllister will make a rehab appearance with Double-A Akron on Tuesday. McAllister has been on the disabled list since July 7 with right hip discomfort. ... The Nationals activated 1B Ryan Zimmerman and LHP Sammy Solis off the disabled list. Zimmerman missed 13 games with a left rib cage strain and Solis was out for 13 games with right knee inflammation. To make room on the roster for Zimmerman and Solis, the Nationals optioned OF Michael A. Taylor and RHP Lucas Giolito to Triple-A Syracuse.