Yanks don’t let Nats toot own horn, beat 2019 champions

WASHINGTON — Gleyber Torres helped the New York Yankees prevent the Washington Nationals from tooting their own horn.

Yes, the reigning World Series champs had an actual, honest-to-goodness trumpet in their dugout Sunday. Alas, their bullpen blew a lead, so the Nationals never got the chance to jazz up a victory celebration with the brass instrument.

Facing two of Washington’s top relievers, Torres homered in the seventh inning to begin the rally from a two-run hole, then tacked on a go-ahead single in the eighth, lifting New York to a 3-2 victory for wins in two of three games in the season-opening series.

Torres had started 2020 by going 0 for 7 before delivering hits in three consecutive at-bats Sunday.

“I felt a little more confident,“the shortstop said. “The first couple games, I was a little too excited.”

Washington’s Patrick Corbin retired 18 of the first 19 Yankees batters, Trea Turner homered off Jonathan Loaisiga, and Eric Thames provided an RBI single.

But with one out in the seventh, Torres took Corbin deep on a first-pitch fastball to make it 2-1.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez then turned to a key new reliever, Will Harris, expected to help the team fare better in late innings than it did for much of 2019.

Harris surrendered a tying homer to Voit, who joined Torres in flexing their biceps on the way into the dugout.

In the eighth, after Sean Doolittle (0-1) put men on via a walk and single, Torres pushed New York ahead with his third hit of the day.

New York’s bullpen was better, with Chad Green (1-0) working two innings for the win.

After a throwing error by Torres and Adam Eaton’s double put runners on second and third for the Nationals in the eighth, Tommy Kahnle struck out Starlin Castro and Thames to get out of the jam.

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Yankees: Head to Philadelphia for two games. Yankees LHP J.A. Happ starts Monday against RHP Jake Arrieta.