After clinching the division, there will be just one on-field task left for the Cubs in the regular season: clinching home-field advantage in the National League.
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Chicago Cubs Anthony Rizzo yells out as he runs towards first base after hitting a two run home run in the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on September 14, 2016.
The outcome means the Cubs stand a good chance of wrapping up the division at home.
Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (right shoulder inflammation) was activated from the disabled list and will pitch out of the bullpen. In regards to clinching home field in the NL, the Cubs’ magic number is 10. San Francisco wasted homers by Angel Pagan and Gorkys Hernandez.
Not to mention essentially meaningless now that the baseball season is rounding the turn and entering the home stretch.
Dexter Fowler led off the game with a home run against Jaime Garcia. CC Sabathia combined with three relievers on a five-hitter, with Dellin Betances getting the save for Adam Warren.
In the fourth, Reyes walked the bases loaded but escaped when Jorge Soler hacked at the first pitch and flew out.
TORONTO (AP) – Alex Cobb pitched 6 2/3 innings to win for the first time in nearly two years and Kevin Kiermaier and Corey Dickerson hit two-run homers for Tampa Bay.
Garcia lasted just 1 2/3 innings in the shortest outing in his 146-start career. Baltimore and Toronto own a two-game lead over Detroit in the fight for the two AL wild-card berths.
Then Rizzo put the cherry on top with his second homer of the game, a two-run shot, that also gave him 101 RBI for the year.
Of the 18 games remaining on the Cardinals’ schedule, only the four against the Giants and the four against the Cubs are against teams with winning records.
Todd Frazier and Carlos Sanchez each drove in two runs in a seven-run sixth inning, and the Chicago White Sox routed the Indians 8-1 on Tuesday night.
Quintana (12-10) held Cleveland to five hits over eight innings, including Brandon Guyer’s solo homer in the second in Chicago’s fifth win in seven games.
Marco Estrada (8-9) allowed four runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings. After eight scoreless innings, Lester has a 2.40 ERA. Elvis Andrus tied it with an RBI triple before scoring on Jurickson Profar’s single.
From one knee, Adrian Beltre cleared the Crawford Boxes. Chicago’s consecutive seasons of 90-plus wins is the first time that’s happened since an eight-season run from 1904-11. Walker took a flawless and into the sixth and had a no-hitter until Kole Calhoun led off the bottom of the seventh with a single.
Oakland at Kansas City, 6:15 p.m.
Lester gave up three hits, and the Cardinals totalled only 11 while dropping two of three in the series.
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.
Cardinals outfielder Brandon Moss called Lester one of the best in the game.
Victimized was Jason Hammel (14-9), who was denied his third win in St. Louis this year.
San Diego at San Francisco, 2:45 p.m.
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Garcia, who hasn’t won since August 16 in Houston, lasted just 1 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and two runs with two walks and one strikeout.
