Rendon's doubles adding needed punch to lower half of lineup

Daniel Murphy and Wilson Ramos have done a nice job of carrying the offense with the most consistency for the first four-and-a-half months of the season.

Injuries to Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper have kept them out of the lineup at times. Both have had to deal with injuries. More recently, Harper's stiff neck has forced him to miss three games.

The Nationals have had Jayson Werth getting on base a season club record of 40 straight games. Plus, Trea Turner has been able to get on base and steal bases, making defenses think twice before delivering the ball to the base Turner is running towards.

To complete their lineup, the Nationals would get a major boost if third baseman Anthony Rendon or shortstop Danny Espinosa can get on track at the plate.

Espinosa had a nice run earlier in the season. In June, Espinosa hit .309 with five doubles, nine homers and 21 RBIs. His OPS for that month was 1.122. But in July he hit .193 and this month he is currently hitting .200.

Rendon has steadily built momentum after a slow start. He hit .242 in April and March. But since then he has started on a upward track of .269, 261 and .272 for May, June and July.

In August, Rendon has been on a nice tear. In eight games, Rendon is hitting .357 with six doubles, five runs scored and six RBIs. His OPS this month is 1.013.

If Rendon can get close to his 2015 run where he finished fifth in the National League MVP voting, that would balance the Nationals lineup out perfectly, providing good reinforcement for the top of the order where Murphy, Harper and Ramos reside.

On Wednesday, Rendon contributed a double in going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Of his last 18 hits, nine of them have been doubles. On Twitter, they call him "Tony Two Bags." If half of Rendon's hits are doubles, the Nationals' offense will have found those necessary base runners to move the line along and score more runs. That will provide some relief if Zimmerman or Harper or both miss more time.