Rizzo’s 2 HRs help Cubs beat Cardinals, clinch playoff spot

Chicago’s magic number is three, and the series wraps up Wednesday.

Los Angeles still leads the NL West by four games after the second-place Giants surrendered five runs in the ninth inning of a 6-4 loss to San Diego. “I’ve heard some guys mention that”. “But when we go on the road we play a little more loose, a little more relaxed and hopefully that continues”. “(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.

There is just enough institutional memory and bad blood between these two franchises – and general Cardinal Way fatigue and embrace-the-target resentment toward the Cubs around baseball – that it would have been interesting to see what a clinch party would have looked like with the Gateway Arch as the backdrop.

Chicago Cubs’ Jon Lester, right, is congratulated by first base coach Brandon Hyde after hitting an RBI single during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016, in St. Louis.

“They did the right thing at the right time”, Fowler said of Cardinals pitching.

“I have to figure out how to get the ball on the ground”, he said.

Moss slammed a two-run homer in the sixth off Jason Hammel (14-9). Rizzo is the first Cubs left-handed hitter to reach that home run milestone in three consecutive seasons.

“We want to do well here and I think trying to right the ship here we’re putting a little too much pressure on us”, Moss said. The two teammates are a combined 12-0 since August 1st.

Martinez gave up four runs on eight hits over six innings, walking none and fanning nine as his four-game winning streak ended.

Martinez started off strong, striking out the side in the first and four of the first six batters he faced.

The Cubs are going to clinch the division title on their upcoming homestand which includes the Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals.

“The fastball command wasn’t there”, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “The sooner, the better”.

Luis Avilan (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, and Kenley Janson struck out three in the ninth for his 44th save.

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

MARLINS 7, BRAVES 5 Marcell Ozuna hit a three-run home run and visiting Miami rallied to beat Julio Teheran and Atlanta.

Cobb (1-0) allowed one run and two hits to win for the first time since September 23, 2014, against Boston. He is 6-0 with a 1.17 ERA in his previous eight starts.

The Cardinals, who scored all four runs with two outs, are 8-7 against the Cubs, who are 40 games over.500. The Cardinals, who didn’t push a runner into scoring position all day, managed just 11 hits in the three-game series. But there’s no denying the Giants and Cubs can still derail the Cardinals’ playoff hopes.