WASHINGTON — Ben Rice’s two-run triple in the top of the eighth inning sent the Washington Nationals to a 5-3 loss against the New York Yankees on Sunday at Nationals Park, completing a three-game sweep and New York’s fourth straight win.
James Wood gave Washington an early lead with a leadoff home run in the first inning, his 28th of the season and 10th leadoff shot of the year — a new Nationals franchise record, breaking the mark of nine he had shared with Alfonso Soriano’s 2006 season. The Yankees answered with two runs in the fifth to go ahead, and Curtis Mead’s solo homer in the sixth tied it at 2-2 before New York pulled away for good on Rice’s go-ahead triple in the eighth.
Cade Cavalli made his first start since serving a five-game suspension for his role in a bench-clearing incident in Boston on June 30, and the right-hander turned in a solid outing, allowing two earned runs on four hits over six innings. The bullpen couldn’t hold the line late, and Washington finished with three runs on six hits as a team.
The Nationals fall to 48-48 on the season, seven games back in the National League East. Washington gets a few extra days with the All-Star break before returning to action July 17 against the Athletics in West Sacramento.
Sources: MLB.com, Washington Post, ESPN box score. Photos: All-Pro Reels.