Cubs Edge Nationals 9-8 to Advance to NLCS

It took over 4 ½ hours, but the Chicago Cubs beat the Washington Nationals 9-8 in a thrilling Game 5 of their National League Division Series to advance to the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It will be the second year in a row that the Dodgers and Cubs will meet in the NLCS, and the third year in a row that Chicago has made it this far.

With it being an elimination game, it was all hands on deck. Each team used seven pitchers, including some starters, and Cubs closer Wade Davis pitched a seven out save, coming in with two outs in the seventh inning. Chicago scored four runs, only two of which were earned, off Max Scherzer, who was pitching in relief. Scherzer took the loss for Washington. Addison Russell drove in four of the Cubs runs.

So the Cubs will continue to defend their World Series title, and the Nationals will go home after losing in their first playoff series, something they’ve done in four of the last six years. The Cubs or Dodgers will face either the New York Yankees or Houston Astros in the World Series.