New York Yankees 3, Washington Nationals 1. Javier Vazquez And Livan Hernandez Dominate.

• Quick Recap: It was like a trip back to 2003 for this longtime fan of the franchise, if only Livan Hernandez and Javier Vazquez were still wearing the home whites with royal blue pinstripes and the royal blue eMb caps instead of their current, respective, lids. Vazquez in Yankees' midnight blue, threw 6.0 innings against the Nationals, giving up 4 hits and 1 ER while recording 6 K's. Hernandez walked 2 and allowed 3 hits and 1 ER in 5.0 innings on the mound in which he may very well have earned himself a spot in Washington's twenty-ten starting rotation. After Livan left the game following the fifth with Washington down 1-0 on Alex Rodriguez's RBI triple in the fourth, Jason Bergmann came on in relief and allowed things to get out of hand (with Mike Morse's help), giving up a leadoff double to Nick Johnson, (which Morse misjudged) and another RBI hit to A-Rod, who singled Johnson in with a grounder up the middle and scored when Robinson Cano singled in the next AB. 3-0 Yanks after six. Cristian Guzman singled off Vazquez and scored (well his pinch runner Eric Bruntlett did) with Damaso Marte on the mound when Bruntlett stole second and Alberto Gonzalez hit an RBI double into the right center gap...

• Notes: Justin Maxwell? You're missing your shot. Brian Bruney, Tyler Clippard, Jesse English? 3.0 scoreless combined, are they all on the Opening Day roster? Couldn't help but notice Ian Desmond doubling off Mariano Rivera late in the game...What, Guzman?...Just saying...Mike Morse? See Justin Maxwell note. Roger Bernadina? See Morse, Maxwell...

• Yankees win, 3-1.

• Check out Last Night's GameThread.

• For The Completists, Full Game Report After The JUMP...

FULL GAME REPORT:

1 - Roger Bernadina started the night against the Yankees with a backwards K on a two-strike curve from Javier Vazquez. Cristian Guzman sent a weak grounder to first for Mark Teixeira. Willie Harris K'd...It's Livan Hernandez's turn...Derek Jeter flies out to center. Josh Whitesell comes in to field a grounder off Nick Johnson's bat. Livan Hernandez slows time to get Mark Teixeira's swinging K, Livan matches Javy with one scoreless apiece... 

2- Josh Whitesell gets one of Vazquez's 2-2 curves and K's. Justin Maxwell's Vazquez's 4th K in 5 AB's, Adam Kennedy makes contact at least, grounding out to Yankees' second baseman Robinson Cano...Livan gets Cristian Guzman the work he needs to test his shoulder, pulling a grounder out of A-Rod for the first out of the frame. Robinson Cano flies out to center, Jorge Posada flies out to right, Livan Hernandez finishes his second scoreless. 

3- Willy Taveras hits a two-out single for the first hit of the game off Vazquez after Ian Desmond's flyout to center and Wil Nieves' groundout to first, but Taveras gets thrown out stealing second...Curtis Granderson grounds weakly to first, but Swisher follows with a double over Mike Morse's head in right. (RF Taveras was ejected from the game.) Livan gets fly ball outs from Gardner and Jeter and finishes his third scoreless. 

4- Roger Bernadina leads off the top of the fourth with a pop out to A-Rod in foul territory off third after battling Javier Vazquez for several pitches in a 1-2 count. Cristian Guzman grounds out toward first, Vazquez and Teixeira make the play. Willie Harris sends the third out to Yanks' left fielder Brett Gardner, Vazquez completes four scoreless...Nick Johnson, who's got quite the Discerning Eye at the plate, works the count full and takes a "fast"ball inside for ball four from Livan. Mark Teixeira gets a 1-2 change that's so slow it's ridiculous, K.  Alex Rodriguez is ready and he goes with a fastball outside and triples off the right field wall. Johnson scores, 1-0 Yankees. Robinson Cano pops out to short on a full count offering from Mr. National. Livan Hernandez freezes Jorge Posada with a two-strike fastball on the outside edge for a called strike three. 

5- Josh Whitesell finds the outfield grass in short left with a bloop single to start the fifth, but gets double-up at first when Justin Maxwell lines out to second. Adam Kennedy grounds to first, Javier Vazquez is through five scoreless...Livan Hernandez is back in the fifth against Curtis Granderson, who draws a leadoff walk and then gets doubled up on a line drive from Nick Swisher to Guzman at short, to first. Brett Gardner singles on a grounder up the middle. Derek Jeter flies out to right, Mike Morse makes the grab. Still 1-0 Yanks.

6- Ian Desmond gets one as far as the warning track in center where Curtis Granderson makes the catch. Wil Nieves' one-out single off Vazquez is the Nationals' third hit. Mike Morse K's swinging through a high fastball. Roger Bernadina works the count full against Vazquez, and takes a fastball high in the zone for a called strike three...Nick Johnson starts the Yankees' sixth with double to center field off Jason Bergmann. Robinson Cano flies out to Maxwell in center. Alex Rodriguez throws his bat at a slider outside and singles up the middle to score Nick Johnson, 2-0 Yankees. A-Rod scores on an RBI single to left by Robinson Cano, but new left fielder Michael Burgess throws Cano out at second. Still 3-0, nice throw Burgess. Jorge Posada walks with two down and Curtis Granderson singles to put two on with two out. Nick Swisher gets a full-count change from Bergmann and he K's swinging to end the sixth.

7- Cristian Guzman singles to start the seventh, and Vazquez is finally lifted after 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 K's. Eric Bruntlett takes over at first for Guzman. Damaso Marte takes over for Vazquez. Bruntlett steals second and scores when Alberto Gonzalez doubles into the right center gap. 3-1 Yankees. Justin Maxwell K's swinging. Adam Kennedy flies out to Swisher deep in the right field corner for the final out of the Nats' seventh. Alberto Gonzalez throws one away and by Morse at first on what should've been a groundout by Brett Gardner. Brian Bruney on the mound. Nieves nails Gardner trying to take second. Ramiro Pena lines out to Bruntlett at short. Bruney vs Johnson. Groundout to end the seventh. 

8- Ian Desmond starts the second with a double off Mariano Rivera and into the left field corner. DESMOND! Mike Morse up after Wil Nieves lines out to second. Mike Morse takes strike three inside. Michael Burgess' bat's on his shoulder when strike three is called...Juan Miranda for New York against Tyler Clippard for DC. Miranda chases a 3-2 changeup and K's swinging. Francisco Cervelli takes Clippard to left for a one-out single. Kevin Russo (2B), K's swinging. Riggleman's bringing out Jesse English to get him some work. English throws one pitch, and it's lined out to center by P.J. Pilliterre.

9- Eric Bruntlett leads off the ninth against Mark Melancon with a groundout to short. Mark Melancon gets Mike Daniel looking and gets Alberto Gonzalez swinging. Yankees win.