Minus Strasburg, Nats top Yanks 9-2 on Robles' 3 hits, 4 RBI

WASHINGTON (AP) — Victor Robles jump-started Washington’s dormant offense by delivering three hits and four RBIs, including a homer he celebrated by pantomiming pandemic-appropriate “air high-fives” with teammates, helping the Nationals beat the New York Yankees 9-2 on Saturday night without scratched starter Stephen Strasburg and despite five errors.

Asdrúbal Cabrera and Michael A. Taylor also homered for Washington, which lost 2019 World Series MVP Strasburg to a nerve issue in his pitching hand two days after putting slugger Juan Soto on the COVID-19 injured list because he tested positive for the illness.

Filling in for Strasburg, Erick Fedde allowed a pair of runs in four innings, including Giancarlo Stanton’s second homer in two games.

Stanton, who knelt alongside teammate Aaron Hicks during the national anthem, sent a solo shot to left measured at 483 feet with an exit velocity of 121.3 mph. It was the 2017 NL MVP’s 36th homer against Washington, the most of any active player.

With Max Scherzer and other Nationals starting pitchers — although not Strasburg — sitting somewhat spread out about 10 rows behind home plate, Fedde was followed by four relievers, who gave up three hits across five scoreless innings.

Tanner Rainey (1-0) got three outs for the win.

After losing Soto on opening day, then managing one hit against Gerrit Cole in a rain-shortened 4-1 loss to the Yankees, the Nationals got going in Game 2 with four consecutive hits off James Paxton (0-1) in the second.

The biggest was Robles’ two-run double. One walk later, Paxton was done after 41 pitches — and just three outs. The lefty went 11-0 over his last 14 starts in 2019, including the playoffs.

Robles added a two-run homer in the fourth, then singled in the sixth.

The teams...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Minus-Strasburg-Nats-top-Yanks-9-2-on-Robles-3-15434624.php