NLDS: Groundhog Day for the Nats As Chicago Wins Game 5

Maybe this is just the revenge of the Expos.

Montréal hosted a feisty franchise until the likes of then-Commish Bud Selig and überweasel Jeffrey Loria conspired with the likes of John Henry to bankrupt the club and move them to Washington.

That's the city where its other pro teams, in no particular order, already has:

• A hockey team that can't get past the Penguins in the playoffs,
• A basketball team whose star hoopster got schooled by a streetballer who plays for something called the Kitsap Admirals, and
• A football team that has Dan Snyder for an owner.

The Washington Nationals just gave another reason to believe it in an NLDS decider that, for them, resembled a 4-hour, 37-minute version of The Shining.

Yeah, a lot of that goes on in Washington.

And evidence of it was everywhere in Game 5, as the Chicago Cubs did their bit to help the Nationals implode:

The Cubs did what defending World Series champions who've been there and done that do.

The Nationals? Let us count the ways:

• How often does savvy OF Jason Werth lose a ball in the lights?
• That was Max Scherzer's first-ever HBP with the bases loaded.
• How does C Matt Wieters get crossed up on a pitch he called?
• Then, how does he even try a throw to first with a runner on third and no one covering home?
• Then, again, Baez's follow-through did conk Wieters on the noggin. But stuff like this is what Cubness used to look like for 108 years ...

  I don't want to be an alarmist, but... it would appear they seriously messed that up. pic.twitter.com/0aABJlzGkC — Jeff Long (@JeffLongBP) 13 d’octubre de 2017

• And what is C José Lobatón doing sliding feet first to the front of the base instead of hands first to the back to make Rizzo's take that split-second longer to make?

Gotta ask yet again in these playoffs, how hard is it to not be the dude in the red shirt in a title drive?

Sure. Be out there with your weapon drawn and then stand straight up.

Coulda played for the Nationals.

We've seen it all before.

Well, there's always next year.

Maybe they'll find a way to ditch that damn alarm clock.