WASHINGTON -- With a leadoff double to begin the fourth inning, Anthony Rendon continued his red hot streak at the plate and racked up a new team record in the process during Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the Pirates.

Rendon’s double marked the 10th consecutive game he has recorded an extra-base hit, setting a new Nationals club record (2005-present) that surpassed Ryan Zimmerman's nine-game streak from 2017. It’s also the longest streak in all of baseball since the start of the 2018 season. The Major League record is 14 straight games, achieved by Chipper Jones (June 26-July 16, 2006) and Paul Waner (June 3-19, 1927).

Rendon’s double also improved his hitting streak to 12 games, matching a career high he's reached for the fifth time, the last of which lasted from June 7-24, 2018. Rendon came around to score later in the fourth on an RBI single from Kurt Suzuki as the only run the Nationals posted on Pirates starter Chris Archer.

But not even a stellar game from Archer could slow down Rendon’s recent tear.

He homered twice on Friday night and drove another pair of balls to the warning track. His OPS (1.439) and wRC+ (257) entering Saturday's game were both second in the Majors, behind only Mike Trout. Normally a slow starter in April, Rendon has settled into a groove from the outset of the 2019 season, which is also the final year of his contract with Washington. He is now batting .412/.466/.922 with six home runs to start the year.

“He’s really good,” manager Dave Martinez said this weekend. “I’ve said this before, even coming in on another team, that for some reason he doesn’t get the hype that he should get. He’s one of the best in baseball. He really is. I love watching him play every day. His at-bats have been great, he uses the whole field and his defense has been really, really good. I love the fact that I get to watch him play every day.”