Washington Nationals: Top 5 games of 2017
By Drew Douglas
October 7 vs. Chicago Cubs
The Nats faced off against the defending champion Chicago Cubs in the National League Division Series, and quickly had their backs against the wall after falling short in game one. Game two became a must-win in the best-of-five series, and the Nats got off to a great start.
Gio Gonzalez mowed through the top of the Cubs’ lineup en route to a one-two-three top of the first. Then, Rendon took Jon Lester deep in the bottom half of the inning, giving the Nats an early lead.
Unfortunately, the momentum quickly shifted after Willson Contreras hit a game-tying homer to begin the second. The Cubs tacked on two more runs in the fourth, and the Nats trailed 3-1 in what was essentially a must-win game.
Things looked bleak with the Nats still trailing 3-1 in the eighth, but the Nats’ offense finally came to life. Lind produced yet another clutch hit off the bench to begin the inning, bringing the tying run to the plate.
Trea Turner struck out, but Bryce Harper was due up next. Harper is exactly who the Nats wanted at the plate in this situation, and he delivered, crushing a game-tying home run deep into the second deck in right field.
With the game now tied, the Nats suddenly had the momentum. Rendon worked a walk and Daniel Murphy singled, bringing Ryan Zimmerman up to the plate with the go-ahead run in scoring position.
A simple single would have given the Nats a lead, but Zimmerman homered into the flowerbed in left field, putting the Nats ahead 6-3. They ended up winning by the same score, evening up the series at one game apiece heading into Chicago.
With the season essentially on the line and things looking bleak, the offense came to life late to save the season for the time being. Game two was one to remember, and will go down as one of the best games in team history.