You just can't predict baseball. Gio Gonzalez, who had a career 7.30 ERA against the Yankees in his career coming into the game, pitched very well for the Nats, giving them a chance to win the game. The Nationals had the lead for most of the game, until Brendan Ryan and Alex Rodriguez helped to lead a four-run seventh inning for the Yankees, and then rookie Jacob Lindgren gave up a game-tying home run in the eighth. In the end, the Nationals edged out the Yankees in extras, 5-4.
Nathan Eovaldi was stellar for the first 2 2/3 innings, until he gave up back-to-back two-out doubles in the third, giving the Nationals a 1-0 lead. When the Yankees stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the third, Ryan made his first plate appearance of the year, and he lined a single into left field, putting a runner on with one out. Unfortunately, the Yankees couldn't turn it into anything, as Gonzalez only allowed one hit through his first 3 IP.
Eovaldi made a mistake in the top of the fifth with two outs, leaving a curveball for Danny Espinosa, who sent a bomb into the Yankees bullpen in right field, giving the Nats a 2-0 lead. Eovaldi then gave up a single to Denard Span, making it a runner on first with two outs. Anthony Rendon came up and hit a single to right field on a 3-2 count, moving Span to third, but the Nationals couldn't get anything with runners on the corners, ending the fifth inning.
Eovaldi would come back out for the seventh inning, with 82 pitches under his belt. He allowed a single to Espinosa, but Nate got out of the inning unscathed. In the bottom of the seventh, Chris Young would get a leadoff single for the Yankees, as Pirela was next to bat. Pirela hit a shot to right field, but Bryce Harper made a diving catch to take a hit away from the pinstripes. Ryan came up next, and he delivered an RBI triple over the head of center fielder Span, and that would be the end of Gonzalez's day, as Felipe Rivero came on in relief, inheriting one out and a runner on third. Gonzalez finishes with 6 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, and 5 K.
Next up was Brett Gardner, who delivered an RBI-double down the right field line to drive in Ryan and tie the game at two. Headley would come up next, but flied out to left field, bringing up Rodriguez to face new pitcher Aaron Barrett. A-Rod kept it going, hitting an RBI double over the head of Span, driving in Gardner, and giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Teixeira got hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second with two outs and McCann stepped up, 0-3 to this point. McCann hit a dribbler up the middle, and the ball bounced off second base, going over Desmond's head, and scoring A-Rod, making it 4-2 Yankees. Unfortunately, Beltran then grounded out to first base to end the inning.
Eovaldi gave up a single to Yunel Escobar to start off the eight inning, and that would do it for him, as Girardi lifted him for The Strikeout Factory, Jacob Lindgren. Eovaldi finished with 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 4 K, and a runner on base. Lindgren got Harper to fly out and Desmond to ground into a fielder's choice, but then he surrendered a two-run game-tying home run to Michael Taylor. Lindgren then struck out Tyler Moore to end the inning.
Justin Wilson came on in relief of Lindgren for the ninth inning. Wilson gave up a leadoff walk to Jose Lobaton, and then got Espinosa to ground into a fielder's choice, as well as Span, leaving a runner on with two outs. Rendon then walked, bringing up Escobar, who popped out to end the inning. If the Yankees wanted to win this game, it would be in walk-off fashion.
Gardner led off the ninth against Blake Treinen, and he grounded out to second start the inning. Headley did the same, bringing up A-Rod, who had 665 home runs coming into the at-bat. Could he get #666 as a walk-off? Nope, he struck out, and free baseball!
Moore led off the 11th with a single, then Lobaton sacrificed Moore into scoring position. Then, Escobar hit a groundout moving Moore to third, and Span followed with another slow grounder, this time over Capuano to Stephen Drew. The ball wasn't moving quickly, so Drew had to charge while moving to his right, and Span beat it out as Moore scored, giving Washington a 5-4 lead.
Drew Storen came on to try and close out the game for the Nationals, and the first batter he would face was Young, who struck out, while Drew grounded out to second. Garrett Jones pinch-hit for Ryan, but he struck out to end the game, as the Nationals beat the Yankees in extras.
The Yankees will get a rest tomorrow, before playing 20 games without a day off (oof, that's a tough schedule). Girardi has said that a six-man rotation could come into play, which wouldn't be the worst thing for the Yankees. Their next game comes on Friday at 7:05, as the Yankees head out to Baltimore to face the Orioles, with Michael Pineda going up against Ubaldo Jimenez.