Washington Nationals’ lineup for the 2nd of 3 with the Pittsburgh Pirates in D.C.

With the first of his two home runs last night, Anthony Rendon extended what is now an 11-game hit streak and a nine-game extra-base hit streak.

Over the course of the 11-game hit streak, the 28-year-old Nationals’ third baseman has now gone 20 for 43 (.465) with seven doubles, six home runs, five walks, 17 runs scored, and 16 RBIs, leaving him with a .426/.481/.957 line overall after 12 games and 54 plate appearances this season.

“He’s been incredible, he really has,” Davey Martinez told reporters after the 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates last night.

“He comes every day,” Martinez said, “and [he’s] quiet, as you guys know, he doesn’t speak much or anything, but he’s having a lot of fun, and he’s embracing the game, every day, and he comes out and he wants to win and he’s trying to help us win every single day, but man, he’s on everything right now and it’s fun to watch.”

Rendon homered on a 77 MPH first-pitch slider from Trevor Williams in the second inning last night, then took reliever Keone Kela deep on a 96 MPH 2-1 fastball in the eighth, tying things up at 3-3 before the Nationals lost it in extras.

He has six home runs in 54 PAs early this season. It took him 144 PAs to reach that mark last year, on May 28th, on the way to a 24-HR campaign, and Rendon hit his 7th double last year in his 126th PA.

He’s tied for second in the NL in homers, has the second-most doubles, the highest AVG, third-highest OBP, highest SLG, highest wRC+ (257), and second-highest fWAR (1.2) in the National League after 12 games.

So about that extension...

Rendon is back in the lineup this afternoon for the second of three with the Pirates in D.C.