WASHINGTON -- The postseason inches closer to the Cubs after every win they get. With an offense delivering the runs to maintain the win streaks, the confidence to continue playing in October grows.

The North Siders extended their win streak to five games, matching their season high, and won their fifth straight series with a 5-3 win over the Nationals on Saturday at Nationals Park. The offense delivered yet again in a four-run fifth inning that gave them the runs they needed to hold off Washington, bringing Chicago to 4 1/2 games back from the Braves for the final NL Wild Card spot, pending Saturday's results.

“I think about the wins as much as anything,” manager Craig Counsell said before the game. “When you put on some big [runs], I think it gives everybody some room and I think we needed that room last night in the ninth inning. That’s what offense does a lot.”

Nationals starter DJ Herz, the Cubs' eighth-round pick in the 2019 Draft before being traded to Washington, held the offense to no hits going into the fifth inning.

The infield began the rally with third baseman Isaac Paredes as the opening man again, driving a single to left field to get the Cubs going. First baseman Michael Busch drew a walk, and then second baseman Nico Hoerner followed suit with another single to load the bases for center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Crow-Armstrong brought Paredes to score the first run off a sac fly. The offense then capitalized on a fielding error by Nationals center fielder Jacob Young -- catcher Christian Bethancourt singled to center, and Busch took the opportunity to score and tie the game 2-2. Hoerner then scored on Ian Happ’s fielder’s choice to take the lead.

With two outs, the Cubs took advantage to add one final run in the inning. Dansby Swanson doubled down the left-field line -- knocking his sixth extra-base hit and 11th RBI in the past nine games -- to give the Cubs a fourth run in the inning.

The Nats began to creep up again by scoring a third run off a wild pitch at the bottom of the fifth, but Hoerner delivered the much-needed insurance run, scoring on a throwing error in the seventh inning to secure the victory.