Washington Nationals’ lineup for the series opener with the Chicago Cubs...

Give the Washington Nationals this much: They keep battling back. They battle. They really do. They battled back to tie the series opener with the St. Louis Cardinals up late before a walk-off sac fly by Bryce Harper gave them a win, and they battled back in the second and third games with the Cards as well though they fell short in the end in each of those games.

“We’ve got to kind of finish those comebacks, we really do,” Nats’ skipper Davey Martinez told reporters after the 7-6 loss on Wednesday.

“But they jump out to a five-run lead in the first two innings, like I’ve said, our guys don’t quit, but it’s tough every day to do the same thing every day. Obviously we could have scored early too, make it a lot easier, but we didn’t so we’ve just got to keep battling.

“We’ve got to keep battling. They’re playing with a lot of heart, which I like, a lot of intensity, a lot of energy, so let’s keep battling.”

Martinez was asked if there was any regret in the clubhouse or front office that the Nationals may have thrown in the towel too early while both the NL East’s second-place Phillies (14-18 since August 1st and 5-12 in their last 17), and the first-place Braves (4-8 in the last 12), aren’t exactly running away with the division.

“No. I never think about that,” Martinez said.

“We have 25 guys right now that are playing all out. Like I said, I’m proud of these guys, and they’re playing hard, so let’s just try tomorrow and jump out early and finish the game and be on top.”

“They’re playing really well,” he added at another point. “[Wilmer] Difo is playing well, he really is. And he plays with a lot of energy. All the guys are playing well. [Bryce Harper] is swinging the bat good. [Adam] Eaton is swinging the bat good, [Trea] Turner, [Anthony] Rendon, all of them, [Ryan Zimmerman], so we’ve just got to keep going.”

Will Victor Robles get in the lineup tonight? We’ll see...

HERE’S THE LINEUP THAT WILL KEEP GOING AGAINST THE CUBS: