Span's gritty day helps Nats to 5-4 win in 11 innings

The Nationals finally displayed some clutch hitting in the third inning today. With two outs, Danny Espinosa sliced a double down the left field line off Yankees right-hander Nathan Eovaldi. Denard Span immediately followed with his own double, slapped just inside the bag at third, scoring Espinosa for the game's first run.

Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez has surrendered one hit and walk with three strikeouts through three innings.

Update: Espinosa did more two-out damage in the fifth. Eovaldi started Espinosa with a hanging curveball and Espinosa deposited it over the wall in right-center field. The solo shot is Espinosa's eighth homer of the season, giving him the second-most on the Nationals behind Bryce Harper.

Batting ninth today, Espinosa is 2-for-2 with a homer, double and an RBI.

Update II: Yankees left fielder Chris Young began the seventh inning with a single. Two batters later, shortstop Brendan Ryan ripped a triple over Span's head in center. Young came all the way around to score the Yankees first run, ending Gonzalez's afternoon.

Nationals manager Matt Williams called on left-hander Felipe Rivero to take over with one out and center fielder Brett Gardner at the plate. Gardner pulled a bouncing ball down the first base line for an RBI double leaving Gonzalez without a decision.

Rivero was able to get third baseman Chase Headley to fly out to left and then Williams turned to right-hander Aaron Barrett to face designated hitter Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez belted a 94 mph fastball that sailed past Span and one-hopped off the wall in center, allowing Garnder to cross the plate and give the Yankees the lead.

The hard luck continued for the Nationals as Yankees catcher Brian McCann hit a groundball up up the middle that should've been the inning's final out. But the ball skipped off Ian Desmond into center field. Rodriguez scored the Yankees' fourth run of the frame on the fluky play.

Gonzalez made it 6 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits with three walks and five strikouts.

The Nationals answered in the eighth. Yunel Escobar's leadoff single finally knocked Eovaldi out of the game. Yankees manager Joe Girardi called for left-hander Jacob Lindgren. Lindgren was able to get Harper and Desmond before rookie Michael A. Taylor stepped to the plate for his first at-bat of the game. Taylor, who entered in the seventh, smacked a sinker the opposite way for an enormous two-run homer. The game-tying blast is Taylor's fifth of the season.

Update III: Right-hander Blake Treinen looked impressive, pitching two scoreless frames in the ninth and 10th.

Update IV: Tyler Moore led off the 11th with a single. Jose Lobaton dropped a sacrifice bunt to advance Moore to second. Espinosa followed with a dribbler back to Yankees lefty Chris Capuano for the second out but Moore moved over to third.

The extra 90 feet was critical because Span hit a slow groundball to second baseman Stephen Drew. Span hurried down the line and beat Drew's throw to first as Moore crossed the plate safely to break the tie.

Span, who's been dealing with back spasms the last three days, was 3-for-6 with two RBIs on the afternoon.

Drew Storen closed out the Yankees with a perfect 11th.

The Nats beat the Yankees 5-4 in 11 innings.