Washington Nationals’ lineup for the series finale with the New York Mets

Alcides Escobar started last night’s game in Flushing, Queens, NY’s Citi Field with a nine-game hit streak going, over which the 34-year-old infielder was 13 for 40 (.325 AVG) with three doubles, a hit-by-pitch, two walks, and eight runs scored.

Escobar extended it to a 10-game hit streak with an RBI single in his second trip to the plate, after he’d reached base on a fielder’s choice out in his first at bat, then he singled in the top of the fifth, and singled again with two out in the seventh, sending Riley Adams over to third base, before he scored on a wild pitch to Juan Soto, temporarily putting Washington up 3-2 in what ended up a 5-3 loss for the Nationals.

Escobar’s 3 for 4 game was his third straight multi-hit game as well, and 8th multi-hit game in the last 16.

“I just feel very comfortable at home plate right,” Escobar said after the loss, through team translator Octavio Martinez.

“I’m consistently hitting the ball well, and I just hope to continue the hitting streak.”

“He’s staying on the ball,” manager Davey Martinez said of the infielder’s success at the plate in recent weeks.

“He’s hitting the ball the other way,” the skipper added, “he’s really working good counts, and he’s being aggressive at the same time, he’s staying on top of the baseball, and just trying to hit line drives.”

The key to keeping it going?

“Just keep working as I have been and stay focused at home plate trying to look for a good pitch to hit, and hopefully that will continue the hit streak,” Escobar said.

Martinez talked earlier this weekend about something he saw that he shared with Escobar he thinks has had a positive impact on his success at the plate.

“The biggest thing for me is — I talk a lot about his head. When I first saw him, he would tilt his head to hit, and when you see a guy like that, a lot of times it’s hard to see the ball with two eyes,” the manager explained.

“I talk a lot to him about getting his head up a little bit so he can stay on top of the baseball a little bit better and he seemed to like that, and it gives him a little bit more time.”

“He’s always mentioned to me about my head being a little low, and it’s just something that you lose focus with during each at bat a little bit,” Escobar said on Saturday night. “So now he keeps reminding me to make sure I keep my head up and I’ve been thinking about it and focusing more about it in every at bat.”

“He keeps reminding me in every at bat, to make sure I keep it up, and that way my vision doesn’t move when the ball is coming, and it’s definitely helped me in every at bat.”

So, will Escobar extend his hit streak to 11-straight tonight, which would be his first streak of that length since 2018?

HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP FOR THE FINALE WITH THE METS: