Cubs defeat Cardinals to clinch at least tie of NL Central

The Chicago Cubs can smell the postseason.

After defeating the rival St. Louis Cardinals 10-2 at Busch Stadium on Monday night, the defending World Series champions clinched at least a tie atop the NL Central, while eliminating the Cardinals from the division race entirely.

Chicago can clinch its second consecutive Central division crown Tuesday night with either a win over St. Louis or a Milwaukee Brewers loss.

"We intend to clinch (in St. Louis)," Cubs infielder Ben Zobrist said before Monday's game. "For a lot of the guys that have been around here for a long time, it's going to be very satisfying."

If the Cubs close things out tomorrow it will mark the first time they were able to clinch a postseason berth in St. Louis on the Cardinals' home field since 1938, when they won the NL pennant at old Sportsman's Park.

The Cardinals' slim playoff hopes now rest on being able to catch Colorado for the second wild-card spot. They now sit three back of the Rockies with an elimination number of four, though the Cardinals would also have to leapfrog Milwaukee in order to reach October.