Cubs find themselves in familiar spot, facing elimination

CHICAGO — Jon Lester had the roaring crowd shaking Wrigley Field to its foundation.

Turns out, his rare pickoff late in the game was about all the Chicago Cubs gave their fans to celebrate.

With a chance to knock the Nationals out of the playoffs, the defending World Series champions got shut down by an ailing Stephen Strasburg in a 5-0 loss on Wednesday.

That sends their NL