As the Chicago Cubs have officially locked in a 2025 postseason berth, here’s a look back at the 2017 National League Division Series, their last series victory in the playoffs.
As a Cubs fan myself, it was hard to not feel like the next 15 years belonged to my team as they emerged as World Series contenders in the 2015 season, only to win it all for the first time in 108 years the following year.
Though they clearly were enduring a World Series hangover, the Cubs returned in 2017 to win 92 games and the National League Central, matching up with the formidable Washington Nationals in the NLDS.
Though the Rizzo-Bryant Cubs era would eventually fade out into mediocrity without a triumphant conclusion, the North Siders showed an incredible amount of guts and grit taking on a Nationals team that had home field advantage and in many regards, a stronger roster.
The Nationals finished the regular season five games stronger than the Cubs at 97-65, an improvement from their 95-win 2016 season and their second-highest win total since relocating to Washington in 2005.
Therefore, the defending World Series champions were forced to open the series on the road, with Kyle Hendricks taking on Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg in Game 1.
The game started out as offensively quiet as one would expect – Strasburg dispatched the top of the Cubs’ lineup in just eight pitches in the first inning, while Hendricks worked around two hits and a hit-by-pitch within the game’s first two innings to leave the contest at a scoreless tie.
Both pitchers would remain mostly hiccup-free for the next several innings, though Hendricks did surrender two walks that he worked around in the fourth inning.
The contest took its first turn in the top of the sixth inning, when an Anthony Rendon error allowed Javier Báez to reach base to lead off the frame. While Strasburg worked a bunt groundout from Hendricks and got Ben Zobrist to flyout, 2016 NL MVP Kris Bryant broke through on an 0-2 count with two outs to drive in the go-ahead run.
Anthony Rizzo would then follow up Bryant’s hit with an RBI single of his own, giving the Cubs a 2-0 lead in what was decisively a pitcher’s duel. Hendricks would go on to work around a sixth-inning walk and seventh-inning error before leaving the lead to the bullpen, while an eighth-inning RBI double from Rizzo added some insurance for the Cubs.
The Nationals’ two hits within the game’s first two innings were the only two they would have for the game, losing the series opener at home 3-0 as Kyle Hendricks dazzled in October yet again.
The Cubs were in terrific position to win both games on the road in the series, with a lefty duel between Jon Lester and Gio Gonzalez in store for Game 2.
This time, it was the Nationals who struck first with a two-out solo shot from Anthony Rendon in the bottom of the first inning, though the Cubs quickly answered back with a solo shot of their own the following frame, off the bat of Willson Contreras.
Two innings later, the Cubs pounced on Gonzalez to start the frame with a Kris Bryant double that was promptly followed by a two-run shot from Anthony Rizzo, giving the Cubs a 3-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning.
Gonzalez went on to work a scoreless fifth inning before Nats manager Dusty Baker handed the game to the bullpen, while Lester escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth before retiring the Nationals in order the following inning to complete a quality start.
After Pedro Strop worked a scoreless seventh inning and the Cubs failed to take advantage of a one-out single in the top of the eighth, it was up to Carl Edwards Jr. to preserve the Cubs’ 3-1 advantage.
Edwards yielded a leadoff single to Adam Lind and then struck out Trea Turner before allowing a game-tying two-run blast to former league MVP Bryce Harper.
After walking Anthony Rendon, Edwards was replaced by lefty Mike Montgomery, who allowed a Daniel Murphy single followed by a seismic three-run blast off the bat of Ryan Zimmerman, giving the Nationals a 6-3 lead and capping off a five-run inning.
The Cubs were retired in orderly fashion in the ninth inning, erasing hopes of jumping out to a 2-0 series lead on the road as the series shifted back to Chicago.
Game 3 at Wrigley Field pitted the season’s Cy Young Award winner in Max Scherzer against Cubs midseason acquisition Jose Quintana, who was making his first career postseason start.
In a game that mirrored Game 1’s low-scoring affair, Game 3 was another high-quality pitchers’ duel, with Quintana leaving the Nationals puzzled as Scherzer was no-hitting the Cubs.
After Quintana appeared poised to pitch a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth, a flyball from Daniel Murphy was badly misplayed by Kyle Schwarber in left field, allowing Murphy to reach third base and knocking Quintana out of the game.
The error was immediately followed by a Ryan Zimmerman double off Pedro Strop that put the Nationals on top 1-0 in a game in which the Cubs had yet to record a hit.
Scherzer erased a one-out walk to Kris Bryant by getting Anthony Rizzo to ground into a double play in the bottom half of the inning, while Pedro Strop remained on the mound for the Cubs on the mound and retired the Nationals in order in the top of the seventh.
After Scherzer got Willson Contreras to strike out swinging to start the inning, Ben Zobrist ripped a line drive into the gap to break up the no-hitter and give the Cubs an excellent chance to tie the game.
Zobrist was followed by Albert Almora, who punctuated a 3-2 battle with a line drive single that brought home Zobrist and tied the game at 1 apiece. Though Jason Heyward managed a single for the Cubs’ third straight hit immediately afterwards, Addison Russell lined into a double play to end the inning.
Following a 1-2-3 redemption outing from Carl Edwards Jr., the Cubs made the most of some small ball to take the lead in the eighth inning. Tommy La Stella led off the frame with a walk and was replaced on the basepaths with late August acquisition Leonys Martín, who then moved over to second base on a Jon Jay sacrifice.
Though Kris Bryant struck out swinging in the following at-bat, Anthony Rizzo dispatched the first pitch he saw into center field on a soft fly ball, driving home Martín to give the Cubs the lead in a game that they were being no-hit in just the inning prior. Rizzo was tagged out on the basepaths to end the inning on the same play, leaving the ball in the hands of Wade Davis to try to close out a Cubs win.
Davis took 13 pitches to retire Daniel Murphy, Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth in order, ending the game and giving the Cubs a 2-1 series lead and opportunity to clinch the series at home the following night in Game 4.
Game 4 was ultimately postponed the following night due to inclement weather, pushing the game back to Wednesday while posing the possibility of having to return to Washington the following day to play Game 5.
The postponement of Game 4 also allowed the Nationals to start Stephen Strasburg on normal rest, while the Cubs opted to go with Jake Arrieta to close out a four-man rotation in addition to having Jon Lester available in relief.
Strasburg encountered the game’s first true jam in the bottom of the second inning, leaving men on first and third after inducing a Javier Báez groundout back to the mound.
The following half-inning was an arduous one for Arrieta, who allowed a double to Trea Turner after getting Strasburg to ground out to begin the frame. A wild pitch then moved Turner to third base before Arrieta won a full count battle with Jayson Werth via strikeout.
With two outs, Arrieta then lost a 3-2 battle with Bryce Harper by yielding a walk, with Harper then swiping second base to put two runners in scoring position. While Arrieta induced a groundball to shortstop off the bat of Ryan Zimmerman, an Addison Russell error allowed Turner to score and Harper to move to third base.
After striking out Daniel Murphy on three pitches to end the inning, the Cubs went down in order on three straight strikeouts before Arrieta was confronted with another taxing inning.
Arrieta surrendered a leadoff double to Anthony Rendon before getting Matt Wieters to line out on the seventh pitch of his at-bat, marking 12 pitches thrown before recording an out in the frame. The Cubs righty then walked Michael A. Taylor before a Stephen Strasburg sac bunt moved both runners into scoring position.
In perhaps an unintentional intentional walk, Arrieta was not competitive in a four-pitch free pass to Trea Turner, loading the bases for veteran Jayson Werth. The seasoned slugger ultimately struck out looking on three pitches to end the inning, keeping the score at 1-0 in favor of Washington.
Though the Cubs put a man in scoring position with just one out in the bottom half of the fourth thanks to a Stephen Strasburg throwing error, the flame-throwing righty went on to fan both Ben Zobrist and Addison Russell to end the inning.
Jon Lester took over for the Cubs in the fifth inning, retiring the heart of the Nationals lineup in order before the Cubs quickly squandered a Jason Heyward leadoff single in the bottom half of the frame via double play ball.
Lester worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning while Strasburg easily maneuvered around a two-out walk to Anthony Rizzo in the bottom half to send the game into the seventh.
While Lester was once again excellent with another 1-2-3 inning, Strasburg responded by striking out the side in a 1-2-3 inning of his own as the Nationals held on to a 1-0 lead going into the eighth inning.
The eighth inning proved to be anything but smooth for the Cubs as they hoped to keep the game within reach for the possibility of a dramatic, series-clinching victory.
The frame didn’t start out as a disaster for the Cubs in any way – Lester struck out Harper swinging to start the inning before walking Ryan Zimmerman, a mistake that was quickly neutralized via pickoff for the second out of the inning.
Murphy then lined a base hit into center field, bringing Lester’s outing to an end after 3.2 innings of work. Lester was replaced by Carl Edwards Jr., who relinquished a Cubs lead in Game 2 before looking solid in the following contest.
Edwards Jr. threw a wild pitch to Anthony Rendon, allowing Murphy to advance to second base before Rendon ultimately walked on nine pitches. Matt Wieters followed and promptly walked on five pitches, leading Cubs skipper Joe Maddon to replace Edwards Jr. with closer Wade Davis in search of a big clutch out.
Davis was tasked with retiring Michael A. Taylor, who quickly erased thoughts of a dormant series with a dramatic grand slam to right-center field that took the air out of the Friendly Confines and gave the Nationals a 5-0 lead.
The slam was more than enough for the Nationals, who worked around two Cubs baserunners in the eighth inning to complete a 5-0 win, tying the series at two games apiece while setting the stage for a winner-take-all Game 5 the next night back in Washington, D.C.
Game 5 saw Kyle Hendricks return to the mound for his second start of the series, while the Nationals trotted out Game 2 starter Gio Gonzalez for the start in the decisive game.
Though the Nationals went on to win the World Series just two seasons later, it’s important to remember how massive this game was at the time – despite incredible seasons in 2012, 2014 and 2016 that came with World Series expectations, the Nationals failed to get out of the NLDS each time. In 2012 and 2016, this involved dramatic Game 5 losses at home. In 2017, fans in the nation’s capital wanted nothing more than to flip the script and change the narrative for once.
While the Cubs struck first in the top of the first inning, converting a leadoff double and ensuing wild pitch into an RBI groundout to take a 1-0 lead, they also could have certainly used more after leaving the bases loaded.
Though Hendricks maneuvered around a Trea Turner leadoff single and stolen base, it soon became clear he wasn’t nearly as sharp as he was in the same ballpark for Game 1.
After Gonzalez sent the Cubs down in order in the top of the second, Hendricks was quickly pounced on by the Nationals offense. Following a Daniel Murphy game-tying home run on the inning’s first pitch, Hendricks surrendered singles to Anthony Rendon and Matt Wieters before a massive three-run shot off the bat of Michael A. Taylor, marking seven RBI between his last two at-bats.
Hendricks worked around two more baserunners to exit the inning with no further damage, while the Cubs quickly moved to answer back in the top of the third.
Kris Bryant led off the frame with a line drive double, with Gonzalez soon thereafter walking both Willson Contreras and Albert Almora following a strikeout of Anthony Rizzo. With the bases loaded and just one out, Addison Russell got a run back from the Cubs thanks to an RBI groundout, while a wild pitch to Willson Contreras brought home another run to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Hendricks worked around a two-out single in the bottom of the third as Matt Albers took over on the mound for the Nationals in the fourth inning, retiring the side in order. Returning to the mound for the fourth inning, Hendricks managed two two-out singles by inducing a first-pitch flyout from Ryan Zimmerman, ending the frame and keeping the Cubs within a run.
It was in the fifth inning where things started to get truly strange, as one of the most riveting and unbelievable innings in recent postseason memory unfolded with two outs in the inning.
Sensing the magnitude of the game with a one-run lead into the middle innings, Dusty Baker handed the ball to Cy Young Award-winner and Game 3 starter Max Scherzer to get some outs in relief for the Nationals.
The outing started exactly to plan for Washington – in six pitches, Scherzer got the Cubs’ two most dangerous hitters in Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo to ground out and fly out respectively, recording two quick outs while getting past the most hazardous of the Cubs lineup.
It was then, on an 0-2 pitch to Willson Contreras, that he reached on an infield single thanks to a groundball to shortstop that couldn’t be fielded in time by Trea Turner. Contreras was followed by Ben Zobrist, who worked a 2-2 count before lifting a soft fly ball that dropped in for a single, putting runners on 1st and 2nd for Chicago.
Addison Russell was due up next for Chicago, who rocketed the first pitch he saw down the left field line, scoring both Contreras and Zobrist to give the Cubs the lead in an inning that suddenly flipped completely upside down for the Nationals.
Scherzer then opted to intentionally walk Jason Heyward to face Javier Báez instead, which on paper, seemed to be the correct move as Báez struck out on three pitches. The only problem? It didn’t end the inning.
Thanks to a passed ball and ensuing throwing error from Matt Wieters, Russell made his way around to score while both Heyward and Báez ended up in scoring position. The nightmare somehow wasn’t over for Scherzer and the Nationals, as Wieters committed his third straight blunder with a catcher’s interference that allowed Tommy La Stella to reach after being down 1-2 in the count.
With the bases once again loaded, HBP extraordinaire Jon Jay was plunked by a 1-1 offering, driving home yet another run while giving the Cubs a 7-4 advantage. Scherzer then retired Bryant for the second time in the inning to finally end what was a chaotic nightmare of a frame for Washington after getting off to an ideal start.
Lefty reliever Brian Duensing then took over for Chicago in the bottom of the fifth inning, working around a four-pitch leadoff walk to retire Anthony Rendon and Matt Wieters. Maddon then opted to hand the ball to righty Pedro Strop, who struck out Michael A. Taylor to end the frame.
The Cubs added on once again in the top of the sixth inning, cashing in on a two-out walk to Ben Zobrist with another RBI double off the bat of Addison Russell to give the North Siders a commanding 8-4 lead. Yet the Cubs, at this point, should know that four-run leads on the road in winner-take-all games are not necessarily safe.
Strop stayed in the game to start the sixth, inducing groundouts from Wilmer Difo and Trea Turner before losing a full count battle to Jayson Werth, issuing a walk. Strop was then replaced by lefty Mike Montgomery with Bryce Harper due up, though Montgomery’s struggles from earlier in the series laid themselves bare once again.
Montgomery quickly surrendered a double to Harper before walking Ryan Zimmerman on a wild pitch that allowed Werth to score. Daniel Murphy was due up next, with the lefty drilling a double to left field to bring home another run, cutting the Cubs’ four-run lead in half.
The Cubs once again responded in the top of the seventh inning however, with back-to-back one-out singles from Kyle Schwarber and Jon Jay leading to an RBI groundout from Kris Bryant, putting the Cubs back up by three with a 9-6 lead.
Carl Edwards Jr. was given the ball to start the bottom of the seventh, though he was quickly replaced by lefty and Game 3 starter Jose Quintana. Quintana induced a José Lobatón flyout on the first pitch he threw, but soon saw the bases loaded after a Trea Turner single and Jayson Werth walk.
With one out and Bryce Harper at the plate, Quintana evaded the worst as Harper lined into a sacrifice fly, giving the Nationals a run back before Maddon once again went to his closer, handing the ball to Wade Davis for presumptively the game’s final seven outs. Davis struck out Ryan Zimmerman to end the frame and start off his outing well.
Veteran righty reliever Ryan Madson dispatched the Cubs in order in the top of the eighth, with Wade Davis returning to the mound to meet quite the challenge in the Nationals’ half of the inning.
Davis yielded walks to Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon to start the inning before getting the slow-footed Adam Lind to ground into a double play while Murphy moved to third base.
This still presented an RBI opportunity for Michael A. Taylor, who rose to the occasion and grounded a 1-0 offering up the middle for an RBI single that cut the Cubs’ lead to 9-8. Davis then allowed another single to José Lobatón before proceeding to pick him off to end the inning.
Lefty Sean Doolittle took the mound for Washington in the top half of the ninth, with the Cubs going down in order uneventfully as all eyes turned back to Davis with the series on the line.
In an unbelievably riveting back-and-forth game and series, Davis could either emerge as a hero who secured a seven-out save on the road in a winner-take-all game, or a scapegoat who allowed the Nationals to break through to the NLCS for the first time in a dramatic walk-off victory.
Davis didn’t have any shortcuts to take either – he had to go through Trea Turner, Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper – the top of the order. After Turner worked a full count to lead off the inning, Davis got the sparkplug leadoff hitter to fly out.
Facing Jayson Werth in what was ultimately the final at-bat of his career, Davis got the slugger to swing and miss on a 2-2 high fastball to retire the first two batters of the inning.
Davis’ final challenge was a fitting final boss in Bryce Harper, who already penned a monster moment in the series in Game 2 with a game-tying home run. Known as one of the toughest outs of the game then and still today, Harper unsurprisingly worked a full count before a disappearing slider induced the swing-and-miss that ended the game and series.
Though the Cubs went on to fall to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games in a mostly uncompetitive NLCS, the North Siders displayed an incredible amount of fight and tenacity in their series against the Nationals, one in which just about every factor besides experience was working against them.
It is playoff series like the 2017 NLDS that are evidence that anything can happen in the postseason – there are no norms or expectations when aces pitch in relief and unexpected players become heroes overnight.
While this year’s Cubs team is likely constantly reminded of the unbelievable 2016 World Series run, they should also be reminded of the 2017 NLDS – a series where it took an incredible amount of fight with a chip on their shoulder to win a back-and-forth series. Sometimes, as the 2023 Texas Rangers would tell you, that can be what it takes to win it all as well.
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