Cardinals wait for another day to clinch division

DENVER (AP) -- The St. Louis Cardinals had hoped to clinch the NL Central title without having to play a game Thursday night. A handful of Cardinals even crowded into Elway's Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel to see it happen.

All they needed was a loss by the Chicago Cubs at San Francisco to clinch their fourth division title in six years. The Cubs delayed it by beating San Francisco 3-2, on a ninth-inning, two-run home run by Jeff Baker.

"That's all right, that's all right" outfielder Ryan Ludwick said. "I figured we'd be celebrating tomorrow any way."

The Cubs trailed 2-1 when Baker came up with two outs. San Francisco closer Brian Wilson went ahead in the count and was a strike away from ending the game.

"Slider away," Rick Ankiel pleaded. "Slider away and you have him."

Wilson's pitch instead caught too much of the plate, and Baker launched it into the left field seats. The Giants raised some hope of a comeback, putting two runners aboard, before Fred Lewis struck out to end the game.

"I wanted it that way," Ludwick said. "I told people all day I wanted to celebrate tomorrow."

The Cardinals figured as much. Earlier in the day, team officials announced that regardless of whether they clinched Thursday night, they would not celebrate the division title until at least Friday in Denver.

St. Louis opens a three-game series with the Rockies on Friday.