Rivero and Robinson display potential in what could be expanded roles in 2016

The Nationals dropped the Mets 3-1 in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday in New York. Clint Robinson and Felipe Rivero played important roles in the win. They also should play significant roles for the Nationals in 2016. Robinson launched a solo homer three-quarters up the second level of right field at Citi Field to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead leading off the top of the seventh. It was his second homer in as many games, giving him 10 homers on the season. He hit 141 homers in his minor league career. Robinson made the team out of spring training after only a handful of major league games in the past couple of seasons, most recently with the Dodgers. "It seems it's like he's just fighting for more at-bats," MASN Nats Xtra co-host Ray Knight said. "He's been as consistent as anybody we have offensively other than (Yunel) Escobar and Bryce (Harper). He has gotten a lot of big hits. He's kind of been under the radar but I really appreciate his abilities as a hitter and watching him day in and day out. He's the real thing. "I promise you if he was a guy that got 450 at-bats he's going to help your team offensively and at first base he's very solid over there," Knight said. "In the outfield it's learning in progress but I'm sure that whoever writes out that lineup next year will give him a lot of consideration against right-handed pitchers." Rivero struck out the side in the ninth for his second save of the season: Lucas Duda was caught looking, Travis d'Arnaud swinging and Ruben Tejada swinging. His ERA is now 2.79. "I think he will be an eighth-inning guy probably with an opportunity to go to the ninth inning if they have trouble there," Knight said. "Very seldom do you see a left-handed arm that is that strong and that powerful at 97, 98 mph with his kind of breaking ball. (Saturday in game one) he broke out some changeups that looked really good so he is going to be a late-inning guy and a dominant type guy." Rivero certainly could solve the Nationals' pressing need for a setup guy, or at the very least be that one-two punch the Nationals need in the final two frames, depending on whether they decide to retain Jonathan Papelbon or mend fences with original closer Drew Storen. But Rivero is an important commodity to have in the Nationals' corner for 2016.