Clint Robinson demonstrates value again with two homers in two days for Nats

Heading into 2015, he had 13 total at-bats at the big league level.

Heading into 2015, he didn't know if he would even be playing in the majors.

Then on August 30 in his 98th game with the Nationals, Clint Robinson crushed a pinch-hit two-run shot, his first pinch-hit homer of his major league career.

He is the team leader in pinch-hits with six on the season. It was his second two-run homer in as many days.

Robinson said he has been able to get better at his pinch-hit role as the season moves along.

"Oh, absolutely. This is a game of repetition," Robinson said. "The more reps you get, the more comfortable you feel and the better you get at it. So as the season's went along, the anxiety level is definitely not as high as it was at the beginning of the year and just going to continue to try and be ready whenever my name's called and try to get the best at-bat I can."

Robinson has one of the smoothest and best flowing swings you will ever see. It looks effortless and when he connects the ball jumps off the bat. General manager Mike Rizzo and the club's scouts did a great job of finding Robinson, and he took advantage of the signing with a spring training that turned heads and got him a job with the big club. Now with injuries to Denard Span and others, Robinson's role will increase again with just 32 games left in the regular season.

"It depends on our health," said manager Matt Williams. "As an example today, Jayson (Werth's) legs were heavy, so we got him out of there. We could've (got him) out of there earlier, but I knew he was going to come to the plate again, so it's a question of everybody how they're feeling. (Michael A. Taylor's) dealing with his knee, (Bryce Harper) hasn't had a day off in forever and he wants to play. There's opportunity there. Not saying that it will happen tomorrow, but it could."

Robinson could get more playing time for sure. So will Matt den Dekker, who subbed for Werth on defense in the ninth.

Taylor will start for the rest of the season if he stays healthy. Williams has reiterated several times the past few days that Harper could get a day off with extra players available. But I highly doubt this. As long as the Nationals are in the National League East race, no way Harper will sit or ask for a day off. He is the Nationals best player, he's playing every day.

Robinson was asked about how well the team has made adjustments through so many changes in the roster this season.

"We really don't have a choice," Robinson said. "We're here trying to win ballgames, and it's not time to sit there and try and get comfortable and try and massage our egos and all that stuff. We got to go out and win ballgames. We got to put our nose to the grindstone and just gut through this last month of the season trying to catch the Mets and try to make the playoffs. It's not time to worry about anything else. We are here to win ballgames."

Tonight, the Nationals embark on another critical series. This time they face the Cardinals, the team with the best record in baseball (84-46), four games better than the Royals (80-50) and four and a half games better than the Pirates (79-50).

"The Cardinals are a good organization," Robinson said. "They always seem to find a way to win. It's going to be a tough series. They got a good team, but we're going to continue to do what we do and just go out and try to play as good as baseball as we can and hope we get some wins out of it."