CHICAGO -- Coming off a World Series crown, the Cubs' first October obstacle the following fall was the Nationals. It was a tightly contested National League Division Series -- one that ended with a postseason game for the ages.

"It's the playoffs. Anything can happen," Nationals ace Max Scherzer told reporters after the 2017 clash with the Cubs. "I'm sure I've been part of crazy things before, but nothing like that."

Through the first four games of that NLDS, the Nats had outscored the Cubs, 12-8. Chicago blanked Washington in Game 1, and Washington blanked Chicago in Game 4. That set up a win-or-go-home Game 5, which featured Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks opposite Nationals lefty Gio Gonzalez.

"That's one of the most incredible victories I've ever been part of," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said after the win. "Under the circumstances -- in the other team's ballpark, after a tough loss at home -- to come back and do that, give our guys all the credit in the world."

The Nationals had a 4-1 lead after two innings, thanks to a home run apiece from Daniel Murphy and Michael A. Taylor against Hendricks. Chicago started to chip away at Washington's advantage, which disappeared in a wild and chaotic fifth frame.

Scherzer -- one of the true aces in the Majors -- came out of the bullpen and allowed four runs (two earned) in an inning that went off the rails for the Nationals. There were three consecutive two-out hits, an intentional walk, a catcher's interference call, one hit batsman and a controversial passed ball strikeout call.

"It was nutty," Cubs super utility man Ben Zobrist said at the time.

Later in the game, it was Washington's turn to mount a comeback. Following Hendricks, the Cubs cycled through six relievers. Then, Maddon asked a lot of closer Wade Davis, leaning on the righty for 44 pitches to nine batters across the final 2 1/3 innings.

In the eighth, Davis issued two walks to open the frame and later allowed a two-out RBI single to Taylor to cut Chicago's lead to 9-8. Jose Lobaton followed with a hit of his own, putting two runners aboard for Trea Turner. Catcher Willson Contreras then gloved a pitch from Davis and fired swiftly to first baseman Anthony Rizzo.

Initially, the first-base umpire ruled that Lobaton retreated to the bag in time. The Cubs challenged the call, resulting in a lengthy instant-replay review. Footage showed Lobaton's foot appearing to come off the base for a split second, and the original call was overturned. The stunned D.C. crowd booed as the Cubs ran off the field following that third out.

"They know that they cannot fall asleep on me," Contreras said during the postgame celebration. "I'm always aware of who I've got on the bases."

Davis returned to the mound in the ninth and logged a perfect frame, culminating in a series-clinching strikeout against slugger Bryce Harper.

"Seriously, I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one," Washington's Jayson Werth told reporters after the game. "I just keep thinking of different stuff that was happening that was off the wall. I'll probably go watch the whole game back, relive it, torture myself."