Didi Gregorius hits 2 home runs, Bryce Harper exits in Yankees' win over Nationals

by Felix Pantaleon

Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius hit a pair of solo home runs to back up starter CC Sabathia in a 3-0 win over the Washington Nationals. Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper left the game after being hit by a pitch in the eighth inning.

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NEW YORK — Didi Gregorius had an April flashback on Tuesday night.

The Yankees shortstop launched a pair of solo home runs, topping his total from all of May, during the Yankees’ 3-0 win over the Washington Nationals at Yankee Stadium.

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper left the game in the top of the eighth inning when he was hit by a pitch from Yankees reliever Dellin Betances. Betances threw an 0-2 curveball that hit Harper near the big toe on his left foot. Harper went about halfway up the first-base line before retreating to the dugout and exiting.

Harper was hit by two pitches on Tuesday. He also took a fastball off the right elbow during the top of the fifth inning from Yankees starter CC Sabathia. Harper doubled over in pain outside of the batter’s box before walking with a trainer to first base. Harper finished his third career game at Yankee Stadium 0-for-0 with two walks and two HBPs.

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Gregorius’ power surge resembled his April form, when he hit 10 home runs in the opening month. His two on Tuesday were his first since May 23. He recorded his third two-home run game of the season, making him the first Yankee shortstop to ever accomplish that feat in a single season.

His first shot opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning when he sat back on a 1-1 curveball and deposited it into the Yankees’ bullpen in right-center field.

Gregorius took Nationals starter Tanner Roark deep again in the bottom of the sixth inning, sending a leadoff shot down the right-field line and into the front row of the second deck for a 3-0 lead.

The Yankees also pushed across a second run in the bottom of the second inning, with centerfielder Aaron Hicks scoring on a sacrifice fly by catcher Austin Romine.

Those runs were enough to back up Yankees starter CC Sabathia, who pitched his second straight effective outing. He didn’t surrender a run while allowing four hits and three walks over 5.2 innings.

He allowed a two-out single to Michael Taylor in the top of the sixth inning before giving way to reliever Chad Green after 101 pitches. Taylor was thrown out trying to steal second base after Green entered the game.

Green, Betances and Aroldis Champman combined to pitch 3.1 innings out of the bullpen, where the three allowed a total of one hit and zero walks while striking out six.

1,500TH STRIKEOUT FOR CC

Sabathia struck out Nationals centerfielder Michael Taylor for the second out of the fourth inning, giving him his 1,500th strikeout as a Yankee.

The punchout was Sabathia’s third and final of the game. Sabathia tossed the milestone ball to the dugout while receiving a standing ovation from the Yankee Stadium crowd.

On top of his 1,500 strikeouts with the Yankees, the veteran lefty had 1,393 with the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers to give him 2,893 for his career.

NEXT UP

Wednesday: Nationals vs. Yankees – TBD vs. RHP Sonny Gray (4-4, 4.81), 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Thursday: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Yankees – TBD vs. RHP Jonathan Loaisiga (MLB debut), 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium