Washington Nationals’ lineup for second of two with the Miami Marlins...

With a single in his first at bat last night in Miami, Anthony Rendon extended his career-best on-base streak to 26-straight games. Washington’s 28-year-old third baseman hit a homer in his second trip to the plate, and collected another single the third time up in what ended up being an 8-5 loss to the Marlins.

Rendon’s three-hit game, (his third straight multi-hit game), left him with a .346/.433/.596 line (36 for 104), 11 doubles, five homers, 15 walks, and 13 Ks over 120 plate appearances during the on-base streak, which has him at .304/.369/.520, 40 doubles, 21 homers, 51 walks, and 78 Ks in 548 PAs this season, over which he has been worth 5.3 fWAR, which leads all qualified National League third basemen.

“He’s the constant professional for us,” Davey Martinez told reporters after the loss.

“For me,” Martinez added, “he’s the guy that makes everything happen here. He really is.

“Shows up every day, plays every day, and just does everything you can ask. Drives in runs, gets on base, plays good defense, just a really good all-around player. I know they don’t talk about him that much, but I appreciate everything he does and what he means to this ballclub.”

Rendon, a 2011 1st Round pick, is arbitration-eligible again this winter, after he and the Nats avoided arbitration and agreed on a 1-year/$12.3M deal last January.

He’s eligible to hit free agency after the 2019 campaign unless he and the Nationals agree on an extension to keep him in D.C. in the next year-plus.

The front office in Washington will also, of course, be focused on the future of another 1st Round pick of theirs over the next few months as Bryce Harper ponders his future, but as Martinez said, Rendon is one of the guys who “makes everything happen” for the team, so locking him up long-term, at a relatively young age, makes a lot of sense. Will it happen?

First things first. Rendon’s going to try to extend his on-base streak to 27-straight games in the second of two with the Marlins in Miami tonight.

HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP FOR THE 2ND OF 2 WITH THE MARLINS: