NEW YORK -- A matchup of Masahiro Tanaka facing Max Scherzer wasn't the focus for the New York Yankees on Tuesday.

Instead, the Yankees were eager to see if Tanaka could follow up his return from the disabled list with another strong outing.

Tanaka (4-1) did just that, pitching seven efficient innings and outdueling Scherzer as the Yankees ran their season-high winning streak to seven games with a 6-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.

"I don't ever make too much of one outing," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I think you try to put together 10 outings and make an evaluation, but obviously it's great to see him follow it up, and I think his stuff was as crisp today as it was the other day."

Second baseman Stephen Drew homered twice, and the Yankees scored four times in the seventh inning, when they knocked out Scherzer (6-5).

New York's big rally came after Tanaka produced a similar outing to last Wednesday in Seattle, a game in which he allowed one run and three hits on 78 pitches. Tanaka threw nine more pitches this time and allowed a solo home run to right fielder Bryce Harper among five hits. He gave up just the one run, struck out six and didn't walk a batter.

"It has to do with my mechanics, good balance, allowing me to make good pitches," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "It's great that I was able to perform today, but more than anything, I'm glad I was able to contribute in the team's win."

In his other two encounters with Harper aside from the slugger's 20th homer of the season, Tanaka got him to ground out on the 10th pitch to end the first inning and struck him out on a bunt attempt on a 1-2 count. That was one of the six strikeouts for Tanaka, who has 15 without a walk since returning.

"He's very impressive," Harper said of facing Tanaka for the first time.

Tanaka retired the first nine hitters on 45 pitches and then threw 42 more to the next 16. He ended his night by getting shortstop Ian Desmond on a first-pitch flyout with two on in the seventh.

"He's a good pitcher, " Washington manager Matt Williams said of Tanaka after his team lost for the ninth time in 12 games. "A lot of balls down out of the strike zone, split-fingers, fastball where he wanted it. We had a couple of chances against him."

While Tanaka was efficient, Scherzer faced numerous deep counts as he allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. He threw a season-high 116 pitches on seven days' rest and was undone by Desmond's throwing error with two outs in the seventh of a 1-1 game.

"We felt like we made him work all night," New York catcher Brian McCann said. "He was making his pitches, and later in the ballgame we were able to get some pitches ... and we didn't miss."

With runners at first and second in the seventh, designated hitter Alex Rodriguez hit a ground ball to Desmond. Instead of trying to get the out at first, Desmond made a sidearm throw from his right knee, the ball skipped past third baseman Anthony Rendon, and rookie left fielder Ramon Flores scored the tiebreaking run.

"First I thought it was a hit just because he hit it so well," Scherzer said. "Desi (Desmond) made a great play trying to get the runner at third, so it's just not getting a break."

Following Desmond's 14th error, the Yankees took a 4-1 lead when McCann's hard single off left-hander Matt Thornton went over first baseman Ryan Zimmerman's glove. New York made it 5-1 on an RBI single by right fielder Carlos Beltran.

The Yankees took a 1-0 lead when Drew led off the third with his eighth home run. Harper's fourth-inning homer tied the game, and neither team scored again until New York's seventh-inning breakout.

NOTES: The Nationals used their third-round pick to select Mariano Rivera Jr. out of Iona. When he signs, he will join Cal Ripken Jr.'s son, Ryan, and Tony Gwynn's