Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Ryan Zimmerman's two-run homer in the 10th inning capped a furious Washington comeback and kept the surging Nationals rolling with an 8-6 decision over the New York Yankees.
Zimmerman followed a walk to Yunel Escobar with an opposite-field drive off Andrew Miller (0-1) that struck the foul pole in right field. The blast, Washington's fourth homer of the night, brought the Nationals back from a 6-2 deficit and sealed their fourth straight win and 16th in 20 games.
The two runs were the first Miller has permitted in 18 1/3 innings of work this season.
"Just a bad pitch," said Miller. "I can't do that there. I have to execute a better pitch in that situation."
Wilson Ramos tied the game with a solo shot in the sixth that extended his career-best hitting streak to 19 games. Ian Desmond and Bryce Harper also went deep for Washington, with Desmond finishing 2-for-5 with two RBI.
Mark Teixeira and Stephen Drew each had two hits and a pair of RBI in the slumping Yankees' sixth loss in their last seven, with Teixeira delivering his 12th home run of the year.
The six unanswered runs were backed by an outstanding performance from the Washington bullpen, which picked up a rough five-inning outing from Gio Gonzalez by combining for five scoreless frames. Matt Grace (2-0) concluded the string by striking out two in the top of the 10th.
New York starter Nathan Eovaldi lasted just 4 1/3 innings and was tagged for five runs on seven hits. He was able to settle down after surrendering first- inning homers to Desmond and Harper, but faltered in the fifth after being spotted with a four-run lead.
A leadoff walk to Danny Espinosa triggered the Nationals' rally, with Clint Robinson driving him in with a pinch-hit double that preceded three straight singles -- the last two knocking in runs from Desmond and Escobar that chased the Eovaldi and pulled Washington within 6-5.
Justin Wilson prevented further damage by getting the red-hot Harper to ground into a double play with two on, but Ramos crushed a pitch from David Carpenter over the visitor's bullpen an inning later to knot the score.
It remained that way when Miller walked Escobar on six pitches with one out in the 10th. The Yankee closer briefly bounced back to fan Harper, but Zimmerman got all of a 3-1 fastball to complete the comeback.
"We knew," Zimmerman said, "we were going to play baseball like we were supposed to."
Desmond began the scoring by belting a Eovaldi fastball over the scoreboard in right center in the bottom of the opening inning. Two batters later, Harper deposited a slider into nearly the same spot for his 10th homer in 12 games.
Gonzalez had retired the first nine Yankee hitters, all on ground balls, before losing command of the zone in the fourth. A leadoff walk to Jacoby Ellsbury turned into a run when Chris Young later singled the New York outfielder home from second, and Teixeira drew a free pass in front of Chase Headley's two-out double that tied the game at 2-2.
After Jose Pirela reached on a swinging bunt to load the bases and extend the inning, Drew poked a base hit to center that plated two and sent the Yankees in front.
Teixeira increased the margin to 6-2 by launching a Gonzalez offering into the left-field seats with Carlos Beltran aboard in the fifth.
Gonzalez permitted all six New York runs and gave up six hits with a pair of walks.
Game Notes
Ellsbury injured his right knee while running the bases in the fourth inning and exited when the Yankees took the field for the bottom of the frame ... Nationals rookie Wilmer Difo, called up from Double A when Jayson Werth was placed on the disabled list prior to the game, had a pinch-hit single in the seventh in his first major league at-bat ... Teixeira's homer was the first Gonzalez has allowed at Nationals Park since May 17 of last season. It ended a streak of 68 innings spanning 12 starts ... Beltran replaced Ellsbury and extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the fifth ... Yankees reliever Chasen Shreve, a teammate of Harper's at the College of Southern Nevada in 2010, struck out the slugger with two on to end the seventh.
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