WASHINGTON -- There is perhaps no player in baseball who consistently yawns at the pressure of high-leverage situations and yet still delivers as consistently as Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon. That is precisely why there is no player Washington would rather have at the plate in those situations with the game on the line.

Rendon came through once again on Friday night at Nationals Park, launching a double off the electronic scoreboard in right-center field in the eighth inning to drive in the go-ahead run and lead the Nationals to a 2-1 win over the Brewers. Washington came away with the victory despite collecting just three hits compared to Milwaukee's nine, with a pair of run-scoring doubles from Rendon providing the difference.

“I mean, there’s bigger things going on in this world,” Rendon said. “I’ve said it before. It’s not the end of the world if I get out right there or if we lose this game. But obviously, that competitive nature in me definitely wanted to get that hit. So that’s a driving force, too.”

• Box score

Whatever Rendon has used as his driving force this season, it continues to work.

Rendon is on a tear at the plate again recently, with four multihit games in his seven contests, during which he is batting .400 with two doubles, a triple and a homer and seven RBIs. This hot streak even stretches back to July 6. Since then, he is hitting .354 with six homers and 11 doubles and 34 RBIs. Overall, Rendon, who will be a free agent after the season, has posted a slash line of .320/.400/.608 with 26 homers and 94 RBIs this year.

"He's been doing that all year,” said left-hander Patrick Corbin, who tossed six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts. “It was just a perfect situation for us, have him up there with a guy on second. I think I heard a stat he's hitting .350 the last [34 games]. That's ridiculous."

Rendon’s clutch hit provided the difference in a crucial game between two of the top Wild Card contenders in the National League. This was the fifth consecutive victory for the Nationals, matching their longest winning streak of the season, and one that pulled them within 4 1/2 games of the Braves in the NL East, the closest they have been since July 29. Washington also has a 2 1/2-game lead atop the Wild Card standings.

• MLB standings

At this point during each of the four seasons that the Nationals have made the postseason since moving to Washington, they had already built up a strong lead in the division by now, allowing them to coast into October. This season, the stage is set for something unprecedented around Nationals Park during the final six weeks of the year. There will be a crucial game every night that could impact the postseason race.

It could make tight games like Friday night the norm, with Washington needing a clutch hit late to provide the difference. And the Nationals have all the confidence in the world if they can have Rendon at the plate in those situations.

“He's the guy who makes our lineup go,” manager Dave Martinez said. “You're seeing that right now. [Rendon] comes up big for us in all aspects of the game.”