The W Still Flies!

13 Oct, 2017

And then there were four. The Cubs rallied against the Nationals and Max Scherzer in a bizarre four-run fifth inning that checked nearly every item in the box score to post a crazy 9-8 victory Thursday night and clinch the National League Division Series.

The Cubs will face the Dodgers in a rematch of the NL Championship Series, which begins Saturday at Dodger Stadium. The two NL teams join the American League Championship Series finalists — the Astros and Yankees — in baseball’s postseason foursome.

Gio Gonzalez started for Washington, which scored four runs in the second against Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks. But Scherzer took over in the fifth, and the Cubs didn’t flinch. The right-hander got two quick outs, but what followed was two singles, a double, an intentional walk, a strikeout and passed ball, an error on catcher’s interference and a hit batter. Phew.

The Cubs not only used Hendricks but also starter Jose Quintana in relief and asked closer Wade Davis to get the final seven outs. Addison Russell drove in four runs, hitting a pair of run-scoring doubles, to help the Cubs advance to the NLCS for the third consecutive season.

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