Posted at USAToday.com by the AP
Jon Lester gave the Chicago Cubs a much-needed boost.
Anthony Rizzo hit a pair of home runs and Lester pitched eight dominant innings as the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-0 on Wednesday to clinch at least a wild-card playoff berth.
The Cubs improved their MLB-best record to 93-52 and their magic number is one to clinch their firstNational League Central title since 2008. Chicago secured a playoff berth because St. Louis and San Francisco are the only teams that could catch them in the standings, but since those teams open a four-game series on Thursday both teams wouldn’t be able to do so.
“I’ll tell you, if you were in that dugout at the beginning of the game, the guys were dead on their feet,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “To play the kind of game we did today — really hot, last game of a long road trip — I give them a ton of credit. (Lester) really played into all that.”
The Cardinals began the day a half-game behind the New York Mets and a full game behind the Giants for one of the two wild-card spots.
Lester (17-4) allowed four base runners, none of which got past first. Cubs catcher David Ross threw out two Cardinals trying to steal second and Lester faced just two batters over the minimum.
Cardinals outfielder Brandon Moss called Lester one of the best in the game.
“Today was one of those days were he had both working and he wasn’t missing over the middle and he was even throwing some curveballs and change-ups to keep you off of everything,” Moss said.
Lester improved to 7-0 with a 1.02 ERA in his last nine starts. He also helped his cause at the plate with an RBI single in the third.
“I’m just trying to give a good at-bat,” Lester said. “He elevated a changeup for me and I got it far enough out there to give us a run.”
Rizzo’s two-run homer in the ninth gave him 31 homers and 101 RBIs on the season. He is the second Cubs left-handed hitter in franchise history to post multiple 30 home run and 100 RBI seasons (Billy Williams did it in 1965, 1970 and 1972).
“Billy Williams, his numbers speak for himself and he’s done it so many years, so it’s a really good feeling,” Rizzo said.
Ross’ two-run homer in the fifth snapped a 0-for-8 streak and it was his first home run since Aug. 17.
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