Masahiro Tanaka outlasted former Cy Young Award-winner Max Scherzer to post his fourth win as the New York Yankees beat the Washington Nationals 6-1 on Tuesday.
Tanaka (4-1) allowed a run on five hits in an efficient seven-pitch outing at Yankee Stadium in which he struck out six and walked none. Tanaka left after throwing 69 pitches. He had sharp command of his trademark split-fingered fastball, good movement on his two-seam fastball and rarely missed locations as the Yankees ran off their seventh straight win.
"Going against Scherzer, I thought it would be hard for us to score," Tanaka said of his second straight solid start since coming off the disabled list. "So I was thinking there was nothing for me to do but try and keep them scoreless.