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ST. LOUIS -- 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.Ill 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 wasnt 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.Im 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.Rizzos 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 hes done it so many years, so its 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.Lets 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 ROOMCardinals: 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 NEXTCubs: 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. Vapormax Plus Sale Ireland . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. Vapormax Discount . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. http://www.outletvapormaxireland.com/vapormax-flyknit-wholesale-china.html .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at Boston Strong - a citys recovery from tragedy. Vapormax Plus White Ireland Replica Vapormax Ireland . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. DALLAS -- It had been so long since the Dallas Stars won a game in overtime that coach Lindy Ruff conducted a brief lesson on the bench after the third period on Monday night.The tutorial took hold. Jamie Benn flicked in a goal 1:23 into overtime, lifting Dallas over the Minnesota Wild 3-2.The Stars had lost five straight overtime games and nine in a row going back to last season. Their last overtime win at home was on Nov. 14, 2015 -- also 3-2 against the Wild.Going into overtime, Ruff was thinking first about defense.I even went through a quick review before the overtime started again, just on the defensive side, he said. Just to emphasize the points in case we were stuck in our end.The reminder worked, as Tyler Seguin won a puck battle in his own end to spring the play the other way. Benn took a cross-ice pass from Seguin in the left faceoff circle and shot over goalie Darcy Kuempers right shoulder.Kuemper said he was distracted by Jordie Benn on the goal.The pass came across, its on his one-time and there was a guy coming on the back door that just backed me off a little bit. He made a great shot, put it upstairs short side.Dallas twice took one-goal leads, but the Wild answered each time.The Stars Jamie Oleksiak scored his first in more than two years on a rebound at 7:19 of the second period. Nino Niederreiter tied the game on the power play at 17:22 of the second.Brett Ritchie gave Dallas a 2-1 lead at 1:01 of the third, but 3 minutes later, Erik Haula scored for Minnesota.We did fight back twice, something we havent done a lot of, Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. Its a hard-earned point in here. The points are going to be very valuable to come by because its going to be tight.Kuemper made 29 saves. Antti Niemi had 27 for the Stars.In front of Niemi was a revamped defense.Julius Honka, Dallas first-round draft pick in 2014, made his NHL debut and assisted on Ritchies goal.ddddddddddddEsa Lindell was recalled from Texas of the AHL with Honka, and Oleksiak was playing in only his sixth game this season.John Klingberg, who had played in every game this season, and Stephen Johns were healthy scratches. Johnny Oduya went on injured reserve before the game with a lower-body injury.Our puck movement last game (a 5-2 loss to Edmonton), things we did with the puck, Ruff said in explaining the changes.The unit was up against a Minnesota team averaging less than two goals per game. The Wild have scored more than two goals only once in the last nine games, six of them losses.After a scoreless first period, Dallas applied pressure early in the second.Patrick Sharp, Patrick Eaves and Jason Spezza skated in ahead of the defense. Trailing the play, defenseman Oleksiak put his stick on the rebound of Spezzas shot and backhanded the puck into the net.Oleksiaks goal was his second in 84 career games. He had not scored in 55 games since his first on Oct. 28, 2014.Game notes Wild LW Zach Parise returned after missing Saturdays game because of strep throat. ... Oleksiak and Minnesota RW Chris Stewart received major penalties for fighting at 6:34 of the first period. ... Ritchie has four points (two goals, two assists) in four career games against the Wild. In 12 games in November, Eaves has 12 points (eight goals, four assists). ... Mikko Koivus assist on Niederreiters goal was the 400th of his career. He has a team-high 28 points against the Stars in 36 games. ... Haula has five points (two goals, three assists) in his last five games vs. Dallas.UP NEXTWild: Return home to play Winnipeg on Wednesday night.Stars: Travel to Nashville to play on Wednesday night. ' ' '