The Chicago Cubs will be going to the NLCS for the third straight year and for the second year in a row will be facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in that contest as they held on to beat the Washington Nationals 9-8 in Game 5 of the NLDS in a game which lasted nearly five hours.
This series was even with the Cubs winning Games 1 & 3 and the Nats winning Games 2 & 4. Those Cubs wins came despite Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg taking no-hitters into the late innings. The Nats had a comeback win in Game 2 and dominated in Game 4 on the strength of 12 strikeouts over 7 innings by Strasburg.
The Cubs took a 1-0 on a RBI ground out by Anthony Rizzo in the top of the 1st. But the Nats would have a four run second inning on a solo home run by Daniel Murphy and a three run shot by Michael A. Taylor who also hit a grand slam in Game 4. Alas the Nats peaked too soon.
The Cubs scored two runs in the 3rd on another RBI ground out (this time by Addison Russell) and Wilson Contreras scoring on a wild pitch by Nats starter Gio Gonzalez. The Nats still had a 4-3 lead.
Dusty Baker no doubt thought he would preserve that lead by bringing in Max Scherzer to pitch the fifth. Scherzer would retire both Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo in swift order. But then the wheels fell off. After giving up singles to Wilson Contreras and pinch hitter Ben Zobrist, Addison Russell drove them both in with a double to take a 5-4 lead. The Cubs would two more runs after Javier Baez struck out but the ball got away from Nats catcher Matt Wieters who made an errant throw to first. The Cubs ended the 5th with four runs and a 7-4 lead.
Russell would hit another RBI double to make it 8-4 in the sixth inning. But in the bottom of that inning, the Nats would cut into the lead when Jayson Werth scored on a wild pitch by Cubs reliever Mike Montgomery. Later in the inning Murphy would drive in a run with a double to make it 8-6. The Cubs got one back in the top of the 7th when Bryant reached on a fielder's choice but the Nats answered with a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Bryce Harper.
With the Cubs leading 9-7, Joe Maddon brought his closer Wade Davis to record the final seven outs. Davis would have a rocky 8th with Taylor driving in his fourth run of the game with a single to make it a 9-8 game. But everything changed when Cubs catcher Wilson Contreras threw the ball to first when Nats catcher Jose Lobaton was leaning a little too far off first. The umps ruled him safe, but Maddon wanted a replay. The call was reversed and the rally and inning were over.
Davis would retire the final three hitters in order including Bryce Harper on a strike out to end the game.
This is a very bitter pill for the Washington Nationals to swallow. Four times since 2012 the Nats have won the NL East and now four times they have failed to win the NLDS against four different opponents. The Cardinals came back down 6-0 to beat them in Game 5 of the NLDS in 2012, fell to the San Francisco Giants in 2014 and then the Dodgers last year and now the Cubs.
Despite winning NL East titles in both seasons in D.C., Dusty Baker is without a contract for 2018 and no doubt his chances of returning are about as likely as Donald Trump giving up Twitter.
The Cubs will have their hands full with the Dodgers who are eager to avenge their loss in Wrigley Field a year ago. It marks the first time there has been a rematch in the NLCS since the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros met in the NLCS in 2004 and 2005. The NLCS will commence Saturday in Los Angeles.
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