Lester, Rizzo Lead Cubs Past Cardinals

By ESPN

 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 Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-0 on Wednesday to clinch a playoff berth.

The Cubs improved their major league-best record to 93-52, and their magic number is one to clinch their first NL Central title since 2008. They can wrap up the division crown Thursday night with a win at home over Milwaukee or a St. Louis loss in San Francisco.

Chicago secured at least a wild card because the four-game series between the Cardinals and Giants makes it impossible for both to catch the Cubs in the standings.

"I'll tell you, if you were in that dugout at the beginning of the game, the guys were dead on their feet," Chicago 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 remained a half-game behind the New York Mets and one game behind the Giants for the two NL wild cards.

Lester (17-4) allowed four baserunners, 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 RBI 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).

Indians 6, White  Sox 1

Tomlin pitched five effective innings in his return to the Indians rotation, Coco Crisp hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning to break the game open and Cleveland defeated the Chicago White Sox 6-1 on Wednesday night to remain six games ahead of Detroit in the AL Central.

Tomlin (12-8) allowed one run on four hits and walked none as he ended a personal five-game losing streak that led to the right-hander being demoted to the bullpen after his last start on Aug. 30.

Since that last start, when Tomlin lasted just 1 2/3 innings against Minnesota, he pitched only one inning in relief. He came back recharged in this one, even if he was limited to 72 pitches by manager Terry Francona.

"He pitched really well," Francona said. "When you have the rest like that there's a reason, but you also hope there's no rust."

"He threw so many strikes (50), was aggressive with his fastball in, threw his cutter off of it."

Tomlin won for the first time since July 30, when he was 11-3 with a 3.43 ERA. In six starts in August, the righty had a 11.48 ERA.

In this one though, Francona said Tomlin was back to being "crisp."

"It never hurts to get the rest this time of year," Tomlin said. "But you've still got to go out there and you have to execute pitches and still got to figure out what you were doing wrong.

"Hopefully I can build off that outing and just keep going."

Wednesday, September 14 Scoreboard

Tampa Bay 8, Toronto 1

Chicago Cubs 7, St. Louis 0

San Diego 3, San Francisco 1

Los Angeles Dodgers 3, New York Yankees 0

Washington 1, New York Mets 0

Baltimore 1, Boston 0

Philadelphia 6, Pittsburgh 2

Detroit 9, Minnesota 6

Miami 7, Atlanta 5

Milwaukee 7, Cincinnati 0

Oakland 8, Kansas City 0

Cleveland 6, Chicago White Sox 1

Houston 8, Texas 4

Arizona 11, Colorado 6

Seattle 2, Los Angeles Angels 1

Thursday, September 15 Schedule (All Times Central)

Minnesota at Detroit, 12:10 p.m.

Cleveland at Chicago White sox, 1:10 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Baltimore, 6:05 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.

New York Yankees at Boston, 6:10 p.m.

Oakland at Kansas City, 6:15 p.m.

Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs, 7:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona, 8:40 p.m.

Toronto at Los Angeles Angels, 9:05 p.m.

St. Louis at San Francisco, 9:15 p.m.

Friday,  September 16 Schedule (All Times Central)

Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Baltaimore, 6:05 p.m.

Miami at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.

New York Yankees at Boston, 6:10 p.m.

Detroit at Cleveland, 6:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 6:10 p.m.

Minnesot at New York Mets, 6:10 p.m.

Washington at Atlanta, 6:35 p.m.

Oakland at Texas, 7:05 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m.

San Diego at Colorado, 7:04 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona, 8:40 p.m.

Toronto at Los Angeles Angels, 9:05 p.m.

Houston at Seattle, 9:10 p.m.

St. Louis at San Francisco, 9:15 p.m.

Saturday, September 17 Schedule (All Times Central)

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 11:10 a.m.

New York Yankees at Boston, 12:05 p.m.

Washington at Atlanta, 12:05 p.m.

Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs, 3:05 p.m.

Detroit at Cleveland, 3:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 5:10 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Baltimore, 6:05 p.m.

Miami at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.

Minnesota at New York Mets, 6:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 6:15 p.m.

Oakland at Texas, 7:05 p.m.

San Diego at Colorado, 7:10 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona, 7:10 p.m.

Toronto at Los Angeles Angels, 8:05 p.m.

St. Louis at San Francisco, 8:05 p.m.

Houston at Seattle, 8:10 p.m.

Sunday, September 18 Schedule (All Times Central)

Detroit at Cleveland, 12:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 12:10 p.m.

Minnesota at New York Mets, 12:10 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Baltimore, 12:35 p.m.

Washington at Atlanta, 12:35 p.m.

Miami at Philadelphia, 12:35 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 1:15 p.m.

Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.

Oakland at Texas, 2:05 p.m.

Toronto at Los Angeles Angels, 2:35 p.m.

St. Louis at San Francisco, 3:05 p.m.

Houston at Seattle, 3:10 p.m.

San  Diego at Colorado, 3:10 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona, 3:10 p.m.

New York Yankees at Boston, 7 p.m.