Cubs vs. Nationals, NLDS Game 5: Start time, TV schedule, and live stream

The National League Division Series between the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals has been defined by stellar pitching performances. On Thursday night, Gio Gonzalez and Kyle Hendricks will look to continue that trend in Game 5 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. (8 p.m. ET, TBS).

Washington evened the series on Wednesday with a 5-0 win at Wrigley Field, behind seven shutout innings from Stephen Strasburg, who struck out 12. Imagine what he might have done if he wasn’t sick!

It was the second excellent start in the NLDS for Strasburg, who has 22 strikeouts and two unearned runs allowed in 14 innings against the Cubs.

Starters in this NLDS have a ridiculous 0.94 ERA in 48 innings, and the total score for the first four games is Nationals 12, Cubs 8.

The starters have been so good, don’t be surprised if multiple starters pitch in relief in the winner-take-all Game 5. Game 2 starter Jon Lester pitched 3⅔ innings in relief for the Cubs in Game 4, and Chicago will have Game 3 starter Jose Quintana at the ready if needed on Thursday.

“That was a good spot for Lester tonight and then tomorrow; just everybody’s available tomorrow,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday. “So it will start with Kyle, and Q is ready tomorrow to back up like Jon did tonight and the entire bullpen.”

The Nationals denied that Strasburg was pressured into making the Game 4 start, after reports he wouldn’t be able to because of illness. Patrick Reddington at Federal Baseball has more:

Did pressure play a role after the reaction when he wasn’t going to go?

“The statement was inaccurate,” Nats’ GM Mike Rizzo told reporters this afternoon in advance of Game 4. “Which many, many statements that have been about this subject have been inaccurate. If you’re alluding to the fact that — did the media pressure him into starting this; I don’t think Stephen Strasburg cares about what the media thinks about him or says about him. He wanted the ball in this game because he wants to win this game and he thinks he’s our best option. And he’s an ultra-competitor and he feels this gives us a chance to win.”

The reporter noted that he’d asked if Strasburg felt pressure from teammates as opposed to the media.

“No, he felt obligated -- when he felt as good as he feels today, he felt much more like himself. He felt that he should pitch this game,” Rizzo said.

Maddon said he thought the Cubs matched up well with the 104-win Los Angeles Dodgers, who are waiting for the winner of this series in the NLCS. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times has more:

“You have to beat the best to be the best,” Maddon said. “You can’t run away from any of this stuff. Pick the ’27 Yankees, pick the ‘64 Cardinals, the Big Red Machine, whatever. You just want to believe your guys can match up with anybody, and I want our guys to believe the same thing.”