Yankees 6, Nationals 1
NEW YORK -- Masahiro Tanaka outdueled Max Scherzer and the New York Yankees scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 6-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.
Tanaka (4-1) helped the Yankees extend their winning streak to a season-high seven straight games by allowing a solo home run to right fielder Bryce Harper among five hits in seven innings. He struck out six, including Harper on a bunt attempt with a 1-2 count in the seventh.
Tanaka also won a 10-pitch encounter with Harper in the first by getting him to ground out to second base. After Harper's third at-bat against him, Tanaka gave up consecutive singles to left fielder Clint Robinson and catcher Wilson Ramos but retired Ian Desmond and ended his second outing off the disabled list at 87 pitches.
Tanaka ended his outing in a tie game but the Yankees put together four hits and capitalized on a throwing error by Desmond.
With a runner at first and second, designated hitter Alex Rodriguez hit a ground ball to Desmond. Instead of trying to get the out at first, Desmond made a sidearm throw from his right knee, the ball skipped past third baseman Anthony Rendon and rookie left fielder Ramon Flores scored the tiebreaking run.
Following Desmond's 14th error, the Yankees took a 4-1 lead when catcher Brian McCann's hard single off left-hander Matt Thornton just went over first baseman Ryan Zimmerman's glove. New York made it 5-1 on an RBI single by Beltran.
Scherzer (6-5) lost his second straight start following a five-game winning streak. He allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings, threw a season-high 116 pitches and saw his ERA climb from 1.85 ERA to 2.13.
Second baseman Stephen Drew added an insurance run with his second solo home run in the eighth. It was his fourth career multi-homer game and second in four games.
Tanaka retired the first nine hitters on 45 pitches before allowing a single to designated hitter Yunel Escobar on a sinking liner to center field. After Escobar was erased on a double play, Harper sent a 1-0 fastball over the left-center field wall for his 20th home run.
The Yankees took a 1-0 lead when Stephen Drew led off the third with his eighth home run.
NOTES: The Nationals used their third-round pick to select Mariano Rivera Jr. out of Iona. When he signs, he will join Cal Ripken Jr.'s son, Ryan, and Tony Gwynn's son, Tony Jr., in the minor league system. Asked about Rivera Jr.'s selection, OF Bryce Harper said: "It's awesome. I heard he throws pretty hard and has pretty good stuff. So it's going to be fun how he is and definitely his pops was pretty OK with what he did. It's exciting to see what he's going to be like. ... Washington RHP Doug Fister (forearm tightness) threw about 60 pitches in a rehab start Sunday and will make another start Friday in Double-A Harrisburg. ... Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg (neck tightness) threw a bullpen session before the game and could progress to throwing live batting practice this weekend in Milwaukee. ... New York RHP Ivan Nova (Tommy John surgery) threw 75 pitches over 4 1/3 innings in a rehab outing for Class A Tampa, and his next outing will be at Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre.