From last spot in lineup, Difo delivers four times

Davey Martinez had Wilmer Difo bat ninth Tuesday night with a specific goal in mind, especially with Bryce Harper batting leadoff for the first time in five years.

"Hey, you got one job to do," the Nationals manager told his young infielder. "And that's get on base."

Well, technically speaking, Difo did get on base in his first at-bat. He just never stopped rounding them after launching a solo homer into the right-center field stands.

"He hit the home run, he said: 'I got this guy!'" Martinez said, rolling his eyes. "So I said: 'Great. Good job.' Yeah, he had a good day."

Difo returned to his originally intended role later on, drawing walks in both the fifth and sixth. The first one came moments before Harper launched a three-run homer. The second one came before Harper walked to load the bases and Trea Turner brought everybody home with a double to the gap.

Add a single in the eighth, and Difo ended his night 2-for-2 with two walks, a homer and three runs.

"Super good," he said, via interpreter Octavio Martinez. "If that's what he wants, then that's what I have to do. I got on base, and thank god we had a great game and a win."

The assignment batting ninth in the National League isn't a glamorous one, and some players might take offense to it. Difo, who hit ninth once earlier this season, takes no offense.

"No, that never bothers me," he said. "The important thing is playing and be in there in the lineup. It doesn't matter even if I'm the bat boy. The important thing is always to play."

The 26-year-old has been getting a ton of playing time earlier this season, pressed into duties at second base with Daniel Murphy out and now at third base with Anthony Rendon out.

The results have been mixed at times, but thanks to Tuesday's performance Difo enters today with a .253 batting average, .352 on-base percentage and 12 runs scored (fourth on the roster despite ranking sixth in at-bats).

"It's hard not to like Difo," Martinez said. "Plays with a lot of energy, and I love it. He gets the guys fired up."