NEW YORK -- Center fielder Denard Span began Wednesday in the batting cage testing a stiff back. He ended it by giving the Washington Nationals a victory and an enjoyable flight to Milwaukee.

Span had three hits, and his infield single with two outs in the top of the 11th inning lifted the Nationals to a 5-4 victory over the New York Yankees.

"When I hit in the cage, it was still stiff, to be honest," said Span, who left Sunday's game early with the injury and was a late scratch Tuesday. "I kind of told myself, 'Let's go out there, just go for it and see how it feels. Hopefully it will loosen up once the game starts. If it doesn’t, if it continues to hurt, then I'll know something is really wrong with it.' As the game went on, it loosened up and it felt OK."

The Nationals won for just the third time in their last 12 games on a day when they blew a 2-0 lead and rallied from a 4-2 deficit on left fielder Michael Taylor's home run with two outs in the eighth off rookie Jacob Lindgren.

Three innings later, Washington manufactured the go-ahead run as first baseman Tyler Moore singled off left-hander Chris Capuano (0-4), advanced to second on a sacrifice by catcher Jose Lobaton and took third on a groundout by second baseman Danny Espinosa, who also homered and had three hits.

Span then slapped a 1-2 pitch up the middle. Second baseman Stephen Drew made the throw on the run from behind the bag, and Span beat it out as Moore scored. While that happened, Span said the back began to loosen up.

"Get on my horses," Span said of his approach in the 11th. "We need a win and we're ready to get on an airplane. So I just dug deep and tried to get to first."

Added left-hander Gio Gonzalez: "Knowing the situation with him and (with) him being the game-winning hit and run, it shows you what kind of competitor that guy is. He doesn't give up and keeps battling."

Blake Treinen (2-2) struck out three in two scoreless innings for the win. He ended the ninth by striking out designated hitter Alex Rodriguez. He also ended the 10th by fanning right fielder Carlos Beltran while pinch runner Didi Gregorius was caught stealing on a play that was upheld by a replay review.

Drew Storen closed out the win by pitching a scoreless 11th for his 19th save. When Storen struck out pinch hitter Garrett Jones, it ended New York's seven-game winning streak.

But that was the least of the Yankees' problems: After the game they announced that closer Andrew Miller is headed to the disabled list with a strained forearm that will prevent him from throwing for seven to 10 days.

"We've had to deal with things," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We lost today and obviously it's a frustrating loss for us. The next guy's got to step up. It's part of the game. We've had to deal with it before."

Before getting his third hit, Span had a hand in the Yankees' four-run eighth. He was unable to track down a triple by shortstop Brendan Ryan that scored New York's first run and could not catch up to Rodriguez's RBI double that gave New York a 3-2 lead.

Center fielder Brett Gardner had doubled in the Yankees' second run before Rodriguez's hit.

Catcher Brian McCann's single gave the Yankees a 4-2 lead into the eighth. Lindgren appeared to be able to protect the lead by retiring right fielder Bryce Harper and shortstop Ian Desmond, but he left a 1-2 sinker over the plate and Taylor drove it down the right-field line.

Before the late dramatics by both teams, neither did much offensively.

Espinosa doubled and scored on Span's double off right-hander Nathan Eovaldi in the third. He also homered with two outs in the fifth.

The Yankees were held to two hits through six innings Gonzalez, who wound up allowing two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings.

NOTES: Yankees INF Brendan Ryan was activated from the disa