New York @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 4, 2015 ) NY Yankees 4, Washington 3

Life on the road has suddenly become bumpy for the New York Yankees, who attempt to regroup when they visit the Washington Nationals on Tuesday in the opener of a two-game interleague series. New York owns a major league-best 13 wins away from home but has lost five of its last six to drop to 2-5 on the nine-game road trip.

The Yankees have been limited to two runs or fewer in their last five defeats but they are welcoming Monday's day off - their first since April 30. "You're going to have stretches like over the course of the season. We're playing against good teams," third baseman Chase Headley told reporters. "It was probably a little bit better than it looked offensively. There are some guys who are a little bit fatigued." The Nationals return home on a high note after taking the final three games of a four-game set at San Diego, putting up 24 runs in their winning streak. Bryce Harper, who leads the National League with 14 homers, went 8-for-11 with two blasts, six RBIs and six runs scored in the last three games.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Nathan Eovaldi (3-1, 4.14 ERA) vs. Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 4.25)

Eovaldi was enjoying his best start of the season last time out before tiring late and wound up being charged with four runs on six hits over 7 1/3 innings at Tampa Bay to suffer his first loss. It marked only the second time in seven starts that Eovaldi permitted more than three runs. Eovaldi saw plenty of the Nationals during his tenure in the NL, logging a 2-4 record with a 4.76 ERA in seven career outings.

Gonzalez did not factor in the decision in a rocky outing at Arizona on Wednesday, lasting only five innings and giving up five runs on nine hits. He had been sensational in winning his previous two turns, going seven innings in each and permitting two runs on 11 hits while striking out 17 and walking only three. Gonzalez is 1-5 with a 6.75 ERA against the Yankees, but five of his six starts against them were prior to 2012.

WALK-OFFS

1. Since a six-game losing streak dropped their record to 7-13, the Nationals have won 15 of their last 19 games.

2. Yankees DH Alex Rodriguez, who has hit safely in five straight, needs four RBIs to match Lou Gehrig (1,995) for fifth on the all-time list.

3. Harper, who is 22-for-39 with nine homers and 22 RBIs over his last 11 games, is 5-for-13 against Eovaldi.

PREDICTION: Nationals 5, Yankees 4