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. Jace Sternberger Super Bowl Jersey . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. Bart Starr Super Bowl Jersey . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. http://www.packersonlineteamstore.com/rashan-gary-jersey.html . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Bryan Bulaga Super Bowl Jersey . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Dean Lowry Super Bowl Jersey . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. SUNRISE, Fla. -- Right winger Jaromir Jagr, who at 44 is the grand old man of Florida Panthers hockey, has a groin injury and is questionable to play Monday night against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.He had a little bit of cramp in his groin, Panthers coach Gerard Gallant told the media on Sunday. I dont think its anything too serious. But he is sore. Hes day to day.Another issue for the Panthers is goalie Roberto Luongo, who has lost four games in a row. He has allowed 12 goals in those four losses.The Panthers say they are not concerned about Luongos play. But you have to wonder if the 37-year-old is starting to lose a bit off his proverbial fastball in his 18th NHL season.Florida, which won the Atlantic Division last season, is off to a poor start with a 5-6-1 record. They are last in the Atlantic, already 10 points behind the first-place Montreal Canadiens.The Lightning (7-4-1) have 15 points and are in second place in the Atlantic, six points behind Montreal.Tampa Bay has played the Panthers just once this season, defeating Florida 4-3 in a shootout.The Lightning are coming off a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. Still, Tampa Bay is worried about its consistently slow starts.In 12 games, the Lightning has led just twice after one period. They have trailed six times and played to a scoreless draw on four occasions.The Lightning tends to turn the puck over far too often in opening periods, and that keeps them from getting out on that attack.Thats what happened in Saturdays first period as Tampa Bay trailed New Jersey 1-0 after the opening 20 minutes.Its an issue, Lightning coach Jon Cooper told the media. Theres no question.Tampa Bay goalie Ben Bishop (5-3-0) has been solid -- he had 37 saves against the Devils. But his goals-against average (3.01) is high for him. His GAA was 2.06 last season.Perhaps Luongo is not the only goalie with something to prove on Monday.Offensively, Tampa Bay has a deep and dangerous group of forwards, led by Steven Stamkos, who signed an eight-year contract extension in the offseason that will pay him $8.dddddddddddd5 million per season on average.Stamkos has seven goals and seven assists this season, and his 14 points are second on the team behind Nikita Kucherov (four goals, 11 assists, 15 points).Defenseman Victor Hedman, who also signed a big-money extension in the offseason -- eight years, $7.9 million per season, is the teams third-leading scorer. He has three goals and seven assists.For Florida, its top three scorers are all surprises: forwards Jon Marchessault (six goals, six assists), Vincent Trocheck (six goals, two assists) and Colton Sceviour (five goals, three assists).Marchessault and Sceviour werent even with the team last season, both signing low-money, two-year free-agent contracts on July 1.Some of the teams bigger names are injured and out long term (forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Jussi Jokinen and Nick Bjugstad), out with a nagging injury (Jagr, possibly) or slumping (star center Aleksander Barkov has two goals and three assists).Luongo (3-5-0) hasnt been as sharp as normal, but his GAA isnt terrible at 2.53.What ails Luongo and the team overall is nothing that couldnt be greatly helped with a win on Monday night.In other news regarding the game:The Panthers waived defenseman Steven Kampfer and recalled defenseman Jakub Kindl, 29, from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.Kampfer had been a healthy scratch for 11 of the Panthers 12 games this season.Kindl, a native of the Czech Republic, was the Detroit Red Wings first-round pick, No. 19 overall, in 2005. Last season, he had two assists in 19 games for the Panthers and two goals and four assists in 25 games for Detroit.The Lightning recalled forward Cory Conacher from AHL Syracuse. With forward Jonathan Drouin listed as day to day with an injury, Conachers presence provides insurance for Tampa Bay. ' ' '