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 Instead, the Yankees were eager to see if Tanaka could follow up his
return from the disabled list with another strong outing.
Tanaka (4-1) did just that, pitching seven efficient innings and
outdueling Scherzer as the Yankees ran their season-high winning
streak to seven games with a 6-1 victory over the Washington
Nationals on Tuesday.
"I don't ever make too much of one outing," Yankees manager Joe
Girardi said. "I think you try to put together 10 outings and make
an evaluation, but obviously it's great to see him follow it up, and
I think his stuff was as crisp today as it was the other day."
Second baseman Stephen Drew homered twice, and the Yankees scored
four times in the seventh inning, when they knocked out Scherzer
(6-5).
New York's big rally came after Tanaka produced a similar outing to
last Wednesday in Seattle, a game in which he allowed one run and
three hits on 78 pitches. Tanaka threw nine more pitches this time
and allowed a solo home run to right fielder Bryce Harper among five
hits. He gave up just the one run, struck out six and didn't walk a
batter.
"It has to do with my mechanics, good balance, allowing me to make
good pitches," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "It's great that
I was able to perform today, but more than anything, I'm glad I was
able to contribute in the team's win."
In his other two encounters with Harper aside from the slugger's
20th homer of the season, Tanaka got him to ground out on the 10th
pitch to end the first inning and struck him out on a bunt attempt
on a 1-2 count. That was one of the six strikeouts for Tanaka, who
has 15 without a walk since returning.
"He's very impressive," Harper said of facing Tanaka for the first
time.
Tanaka retired the first nine hitters on 45 pitches and then threw
42 more to the next 16. He ended his night by getting shortstop Ian
Desmond on a first-pitch flyout with two on in the seventh.
"He's a good pitcher, " Washington manager Matt Williams said of
Tanaka after his team lost for the ninth time in 12 games. "A lot of
balls down out of the strike zone, split-fingers, fastball where he
wanted it. We had a couple of chances against him."
While Tanaka was efficient, Scherzer faced numerous deep counts as
he allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. He threw a
season-high 116 pitches on seven days' rest and was undone by
Desmond's throwing error with two outs in the seventh of a 1-1 game.
"We felt like we made him work all night," New York catcher Brian
McCann said. "He was making his pitches, and later in the ballgame
we were able to get some pitches ... and we didn't miss."
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With runners at first and second in the seventh, 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.
"First I thought it was a hit just because he hit it so well,"
Scherzer said. "Desi (Desmond) made a great play trying to get the
runner at third, so it's just not getting a break."
Following Desmond's 14th error, the Yankees took a 4-1 lead when
McCann's hard single off left-hander Matt Thornton went over first
baseman Ryan Zimmerman's glove. New York made it 5-1 on an RBI
single by right fielder Carlos Beltran.
The Yankees took a 1-0 lead when Drew led off the third with his
eighth home run. Harper's fourth-inning homer tied the game, and
neither team scored again until New York's seventh-inning breakout.
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. He 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 for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ... Washington CF Denard
Span was a late scratch due to back spasms. He is day-to-day.
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