Nationals send Yanks to 10th loss in 11 games
NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Call hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Tommy Kahnle in the seventh inning, CJ Abrams followed with a solo shot and the Washington Nationals beat the Yankees 6-5 on Thursday to send New York to its 10th loss in 11 games.
A day after his first career three-homer game, Aaron Judge homered on his first pitch from Patrick Corbin (9-11). Gleyber Torres hit a two-run homer in the third as the Yankees built a 3-1 lead.
Last-place New York (61-66) has not won consecutive games since Aug. 2-3 and is s 1-11-3 in its last 15 series, losing seven straight rubber games.
Washington has won four straight series and nine of its last 12 games.
Giancarlo Stanton had his first four-hit game since May 4, 2021. He homered in the eighth off Jordan Weems and hit an RBI single off Kyle Finnegan in the ninth before Harrison Bader, batting in the rain, hit a game-ending flyout to a stumbling Call on the center-field warning track.
Kahnle (1-3) also gave up Jake Alu's RBI single on a hard grounder off the glove of rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe, pulling the Nationals to 3-2. Call and Abrams followed with the consecutive homers. and Call stood at the plate and admired his no-doubt drive to right before flipping his bat.
Kahnle has allowed eight of nine inherited runners to score. He gave up a tiebreaking home run to Abrams in the eighth inning of Tuesday's series opener.
Joey Meneses boosted the lead to 6-4 in the ninth with an RBI infield single off Clay Holmes when the reliever could not field the ball on the wet field.
New York rookie Everson Pereira doubled in the eighth for his first hit after an 0-for-11 start.
Corbin allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings to win his third straight decision. Kyle Finnegan got four outs for his 23rd save in 30 chances.
Judge's 28th home run of the season was his fourth in five at-bats and eighth in 14 games since Aug. 8. Volpe's error on Meneses' grounder allowed the tying run in the second but Torres hit a two-run homer in the third and reached 20 home runs for the fourth time.
Michael King, moved into the rotation, allowed one hit and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. throwing 50 pitches.
TECH SUPPORT
New York RHP Jhony Brito was called for a pitch clock violation entered in the fifth without a PitchCom device and had to get one from the dugout. On Friday he was unable to use it because it was not working for the Red Sox.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: OF Stone Garrett was placed on the 10-day IL with a fractured left fibula, sustained trying to rob a home run from DJ LeMahieu on Wednesday. ... SS Jeter Downs was recalled from Triple-A Rochester. ... C Keibert Ruiz was held out of the lineup because he was feeling lightheaded after taking a foul ball off his mask Wednesday.
Yankees: 1B Anthony Rizzo (concussion) took batting practice on the field for the second straight day.
UP NEXT
Nationals: RHP Joan Adon (1-0, 7.00) opposes LHP Braxton Garrett (7-4, 3.94) Friday in Miami.
Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (10-4, 3.03) starts against Tampa Bay RHP Zach Eflin (13-7, 3.58) in the opener a 10-game trip Friday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb