ST. LOUIS (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 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).

“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.

St. Louis starter Carlos Martinez (14-8) gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings.

Martinez started off strong, striking out the side in the first and four of the first six batters he faced. Five of his nine strikeouts came on called third strikes. He entered the game having allowed just 12 homers this season and his home run per nine innings average of 0.63 was second in the National League to the Mets’ Noah Syndergaard (0.52).

Ross’ home run was just third by a right-handed batter against Martinez, who had his four winning decisions streak snapped.

The loss dropped the Cardinals’ home record to 33-41, assuring St. Louis of its first losing record at home since 1999 when it played in Busch Stadium II.

While clinching at least a wild card spot is nice, the Cubs look forward to wrapping up the division at home this weekend, preferably tomorrow.

“Let’s do it,” Maddon said. “The sooner, the better. Then we can make our appropriate plans going forward and really set things up to make our best push.”

TRAINERS ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (right shoulder inflammation) was activated from the disabled list and will pitch out of the bullpen … OF Matt Holliday (fractured right thumb) is expected to take live batting practice later this week. . RHP Trevor Rosenthal (right shoulder inflammation) could be activated from the DL tomorrow.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Mike Montgomery (1-1, 3.67 ERA) will kick off a four-game series as Chicago hosts Milwaukee on Thursday. The Brewers counter with RHP Jimmy Nelson (14-7, 4.42 ERA)

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (11-8, 4.45) will look to build on a one run, eight inning performance in his last start as St. Louis travels to San Francisco for a four-game series Thursday. RHP Johnny Cueto (15-5, 2.90) will start for the Giants.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brandon Moss broke out of a lengthy slump with a tiebreaking home run and Aledmys Diaz connected in his return to the starting lineup, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over the Chicago Cubs 4-2 Tuesday night.

The Cardinals ensured that the runaway Cubs won’t clinch the NL Central at Busch Stadium. Chicago’s magic number is three, and the series in St. Louis wraps up Thursday.

St. Louis remained a half-game behind the New York Mets for the second wild-card spot.

Moss entered the game mired in a 1-for-41 skid. He hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Jason Hammel (14-9).

Dexter Fowler led off the game with a home run against Jaime Garcia.

Alex Reyes (2-1) won with 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Kevin Siegrist got his second save.

Moss singled in the second and scored on Diaz’s 15th homer of the season. Diaz started for the first time since July 31, when the All-Star shortstop broke his thumb.

Garcia, who lasted just 1 2/3 innings, the shortest outing in his 146-start career. Garcia gave up two runs on three hits, including Fowler’s seventh leadoff homer of the season.

Hammel allowed four runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out nine and walked two.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: INF Matt Carpenter was in the starting lineup after leaving Monday’s game with back tightness. … RHP Trevor Rosenthal threw batting practice. He has missed 46 games with shoulder inflammation. … RHP Michael Wacha is expected to be activated off the disabled list tomorrow and could be headed to the bullpen. He has been out since Aug. 9 with shoulder inflammation.

UP NEXT

Cubs LHP Jon Lester (16-4, 2.51) takes on RHP Carlos Martinez (14-7, 3.05) in the final game of the three-game set. Lester has allowed one run or less in each of his last five starts. He is 6-0 with a 1.17 ERA in his previous eight starts. Martinez is 6-3 in 11 day starts this season. He has induced an NL-leading 32 double plays.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kyle Hendricks was so good Monday night he even surprised himself.

The right-hander took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before giving up Jeremy Hazelbaker’s leadoff home run, and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 to close in on the NL Central crown.

“I never thought I’d get that close to one,” Hendricks said. “A guy who throws to contact and doesn’t throw hard, you don’t think about it. You can run into one of those special days and you think, why not?

“My pregame bullpen was probably the worst I’ve had all year. Hopefully it clicks once the game starts, and it did.”

All the way until the ninth inning.

Hazelbaker drove an 0-2 pitch into the right-field stands for his 12th homer before Hendricks (15-7), the major league ERA leader at 2.03, was relieved by Aroldis Chapman.

“If you’re going to give it up, at least it’s that way and not a cheap hit,” Hendricks said. “I just left the ball up and he got it. It was just a changeup and I wanted to throw it in the dirt and get him to chase.”

Hazelbaker was looking for a changeup.

“I wasn’t surprised by it,” he said. “He’d been throwing that pitch all night. It was a good pitch he threw me. I was able to handle it like I wanted to.”

Ben Zobrist and Dexter Fowler homered for the Cubs, who lowered their magic number to three for clinching the division crown. They lead the second-place Cardinals by 17 games and can wrap up the NL Central with a three-game sweep in St. Louis.

The Cardinals remained a half-game behind the Mets for the league’s second wild card. New York lost 8-1 at Washington.

Soon after Hazelbaker’s shot cleared the fence, teammates went to the mound to talk to Hendricks — leading to an animated argument between Cubs manager Joe Maddon and plate umpire Joe West.

Maddon was ejected for the third time this season, and Chapman entered to finish the one-hitter. He got three outs for his 14th save with Chicago, and is 34 for 37 overall this year with the Cubs and Yankees.

After the pitching change, Maddon argued some more with West before leaving.

“It was a misinterpretation there,” Maddon said. “We needed more time there. I needed the catcher to go to the mound. We were denied. I made my stand.

“I truly believe I was proper in that, but this is not about that. This is Kyle’s night.”

Hendricks, who threw 96 pitches, struck out seven and walked two.

“Pretty special night all around,” he said. “It was fun, man.”

It was the fourth no-hit bid broken up in the ninth inning this season. Cubs teammate Jake Arrieta tossed the lone no-hitter in the majors this year, winning 16-0 at Cincinnati on April 21.

Hendricks got some help from his defense, especially in the sixth.

Cubs shortstop Addison Russell, deep in the hole, went to his knees on the outfield grass for a sliding stop of Jhonny Peralta’s sharp grounder and made a strong throw to first.

Right fielder Jason Heyward then reached into the stands to catch Hazelbaker’s foul fly, practically wrestling with a fan in a Cardinals jersey for the ball.

“He was unbelievably great,” Maddon said about Hendricks. “Unfortunately, he didn’t get the no-hitter. They didn’t have good swings against him all night. He was in charge the entire game. It was a spectacular performance. Kyle was the star.”

Hendricks’ control made him tough to hit, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

“He was pushing the corners all day long and he’s been doing that most of the season and didn’t give us a whole lot,” Matheny said.

Mike Leake (9-10) pitched six innings before being lifted for a pinch hitter. Leake, making his second start since a stint on the disabled list due to shingles, allowed six hits and four runs (three earned).

Anthony Rizzo had an RBI single for the Cubs.

The last time the Cubs won a division title was 2008. They did it by beating St. Louis on Sept. 20 at Wrigley Field.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (right shoulder) threw batting practice to Brayan Pena, Jose Martinez and Alberto Rosario. Wacha said he hopes to come off the disabled list Wednesday. … LF Matt Holliday took batting practice on the field for the first time since breaking his right thumb Aug. 11 against the Cubs. … Cardinals closer Seung Hwan Oh, who has 17 saves and a 1.87 ERA, was unavailable Saturday and Sunday against Milwaukee because of a sore groin. Speaking through translator Eugene Koo, the reliever said he would not be available Monday but should be Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia (10-12, 4.58 ERA) makes his 29th start of the season Tuesday night, his most since 2011 when he made 32. He has started seven games against the Cubs and is 3-2 with a 2.27 ERA.

Cubs: RHP Jason Hammel (14-8, 3.50) allowed nine runs — eight earned — and a career-high 13 hits over 5 2/3 innings in a 12-5 loss at Milwaukee last time out. He is 4-4 with a 4.80 ERA in 10 starts against the Cardinals.

— Associated Press —