Robinson Cano collects 4 hits as New York Yankees beat Washington Nationals 5-3

Cano leads Yankees past Nationals

NEW YORK — Robinson Cano hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning and matched a career high with four hits, leading CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the woeful Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Sabathia (6-4) held Washington in check after light-hitting Anderson Hernandez’s three-run homer in the fifth gave the Nationals the lead. The 6-foot-7 left-hander departed after walking Nick Johnson with two outs in the eighth inning and received a standing ovation.

Brian Bruney, activated off the disabled list earlier in the day, made just his second appearance since April 21 and got Ryan Zimmerman to ground out. Mariano Rivera worked the ninth for his 15th save in 16 chances.

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter departed after seven innings with left ankle soreness and replacement Ramiro Pena hit an RBI single in the eighth to give New York a 5-3 cushion.

Shairon Martis pitched six effective innings for the Nationals, who have lost 16 of 19 and fallen to a major league-worst 16-46. Washington Manny Acta, whose team is 6-24 on the road, said before the game he wasn’t concerned about a foxsports.com last weekend that he will be fired and replaced by hitting coach Jim Riggleman.

Martis allowed four hits and one earned run before handing a 3-2 lead over to the Nationals bullpen, which entered 5-22 with a 5.59 ERA.

Johnny Damon started the seventh with a single off former Yankee Ron Villone (3-4) and scored all the way from first when Mark Teixeira followed with a double off the wall in left-center field. Alex Rodriguez struck out, drawing some boos from the crowd, but Cano drove Villone’s 2-2 pitch over center fielder Elijah Dukes to put New York ahead.

Cano, who also singled in a run in the third, picked up his 14th career four-hit game and first since Aug. 24 at Baltimore. He is batting .330 (34 for 103) in his last 25 games.

Rodriguez is 8-for-48 (.167) in June, dropping his batting average to .224.

Washington trailed 2-0 before Hernandez went deep for his second career homer and first since Sept. 19, 2006, for the New York Mets against Florida. Alberto Gonzalez and Wil Nieves singled before the speedy second baseman hit Sabathia’s 1-2 pitch into the first row of seats beyond the left-field wall.

The home run was the 116th at new Yankee Stadium, where there has been at least one every game.

Sabathia has pitched at least seven innings in each of his last eight starts and 10 times total this season.

He got a big assist from his defense. Rodriguez made a nice stop on Johnson’s hard-hit grounder to third in the fourth and center fielder Melky Cabrera sprinted in before making a diving grab on Dukes’ blooper in the sixth.

Cabrera barely held on after tumbling forward and Dukes stood on first for a moment in disbelief before slowly making his way to the Washington dugout.

NOTES: Rodriguez greeted fans in Monument Park before the game. One spectator told A-Rod he was a Phillies fan but he liked him. … RHP Jose Veras was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Bruney. … Washington activated RHP Kip Wells from the DL and optioned RHP Jason Bergmann to Triple-A Syracuse. … The Yankees didn’t make an error for only the third time in 13 games.