Washington @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( May 20, 2015 ) NY Yankees 2, Washington 3

The American League East has been waiting for a breakout team and may have finally found one with the New York Yankees. The Yankees will try to push their winning streak to seven straight and keep Bryce Harper away from the short porch in right when they host the Washington Nationals in the opener of a two-game interleague series on Tuesday.

New York dropped two in Washington during a six-game slide last month but has turned things around in June, outscoring opponents 37-17 in six games this month. The Yankees totaled seven home runs in a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend and scored at least six runs in each of the three wins. The Nationals are tumbling in the opposite direction and have dropped five of six to fall behind the New York Mets in the National League East. Harper, who slugged 13 home runs in May, is 8-for-24 in June but only one of those hits left the yard.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), WUSA 9 (Washington), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Max Scherzer (6-4, 1.85 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (3-1, 2.76)

Not even Scherzer is immune to the team’s struggles this month, and he had a five-start winning streak come to an end against Toronto last Tuesday. The former AL Cy Young Award winner was reached for four runs on six hits in six innings by the Blue Jays. Scherzer is 4-2 with a 3.79 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings over six career starts against New York.

Tanaka missed nearly six weeks with a forearm strain but had no trouble carving up the Seattle Mariners in his return to the mound on Wednesday. The Japan native struck out nine while allowing one run and three hits in seven innings to pick up the win. Tanaka is making his first start at home since the stint on the disabled list and is 1-1 with a 7.00 ERA in two home starts in 2015.

WALK-OFFS

1. Nationals 2B Anthony Rendon is 3-for-15 with five strikeouts in four games since coming off the DL.

2. New York LF Brett Gardner has recorded five RBIs in the last two games.

3. Washington 3B Yunel Escobar has posted multiple hits in five of his last eight games.

PREDICTION: Nationals 4, Yankees 2