PHILADELPHIA: Max Scherzer threw his glove and hat to the grass, then stared down Phillies manager Joe Girardi after getting checked for a third time by umpires for sticky stuff as the Washington Nationals beat Philadelphia 3-2 Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).

Scherzer (6-4) looked sharp in his return to the rotation after missing a start due to a groin injury, striking out eight in five innings. Girardi apparently didn’t like what he saw.

In the fourth, Scherzer threw high and inside to Alec Bohm, sending him sprawling to the ground before striking him out. Prior to the next batter, Girardi asked the umpires to check Scherzer.

Scherzer already had been checked by second-base umpire Alfonso Marquez after the first and third inning. So, when he was approached for a third time, this time at Girardi’s request, Scherzer threw his glove and hat to the ground, unbuckled his belt and appeared ready to take his pants off.

Yan Gomes had a pair of RBI singles for the Nationals, who have won three straight and eight of nine. Scherzer allowed two hits and two runs, one of them unearned.

Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins hit home runs for Philadelphia, which has lost five of seven.

Phillies starter Zack Wheeler (5-4) lasted just three innings in his worst start of the season. The right-hander allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

Royals 6, Yankees 5

In New York, Gerrit Cole’s strikeouts and spin rate dropped as he pitched for the first time since MLB’S crackdown on sticky substances, and Ryan O’Hearn and Kansas City rallied for four runs in the eighth inning.

Cole allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings, showing his usual velocity but without his explosive strikeout pitches.

Luke Voit homered and tripled in his return from the injured list and DJ LeMahieu hit a two-run homer for the Yankees.

Kansas City erased an eighthinning deficit by taking a 6-3 lead against Jonathan Loaisga (7-3) as O’Hearn, Jarrod Dyson, Hunter Dozier and Michael Taylor drove in runs.

Jake Brentz (2-0) won despite allowing New York to take a 3-2 lead on his seventh-inning wild pitch.