Matt den Dekker and Clint Robinson ending strong

FLUSHING, N.Y. - Matt den Dekker starts in right field again tonight with Bryce Harper out of the lineup. den Dekker doubled in the first game and helped the Nationals to victory with a spectacular running catch in the third.

With two on and one out and left-hander Gio Gonzalez laboring, Daniel Murphy belted a fastball deep to right-center field which appeared headed for extra bases.

The speedy den Dekker sprinted to the gap, making a sensational run-saving grab high over his head for the second out. Gonzalez worked out of the jam two batters later.

"Just got a good read off the bat and trying to make a play for Gio and it worked out for us," den Dekker said.

den Dekker, who was acquired from the Mets in late March, is batting .450 with two homers, four doubles and three RBIs over his last six games.

"Amazing catch," Clint Robinson said of den Dekker's dazzling effort. "He's been a great addition to us getting more playing time in September. He's always been a really good player. I've seen that coming through the minor leagues. I knew what kind of outfielder he was and that was a tremendous play."

Robinson homered for the second straight game, blasting his 10th of the season on a solo shot high into the right field upper deck off Mets starter Noah Syndergaard. The bat Robinson used for his bomb had serious pop as Harper borrowed it for his eventual game-winning two-run upper deck tater in the eighth.

Robinson, the 30-year-old rookie, said that despite realizing playoff elimination last Saturday, the Nationals are still playing hard to the finish line.

"We're all competitors," Robinson said. "If you're gonna lace 'em up and get between the lines, you might as well go out and win. Who wants to stand in that terrible weather for nine innings and lose? We got guys playing for a lot of things. There are guys trying to get career highs and stuff. Guys who are trying to show the organization stuff for next year. You can always find stuff to play for and as long as we're putting the uniform on, we're gonna go out there and battle and try to win ball games."