CHICAGO -- Wrigley Field was dark and empty when a loud cheer reverberated throughout the neighborhood surrounding the iconic ballpark.While the Chicago Cubs decided to delay their party, their long-downtrodden fans were ready to celebrate.Chicago wasted its first chance to clinch the NL Central title when pinch-hitter Scooter Gennett delivered a tiebreaking, two-run double in the seventh inning Thursday night, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-4 victory. But St. Louis 6-2 loss at San Francisco completed the Cubs season-long dominance of the division.It appeared manager Joe Maddon and his players were long gone when the West Coast game wrapped up. But the final out in San Francisco touched off a celebration in Chicago that included honking horns and chanting in the streets.This is just the first step, Maddon said before the Cardinals lost. I mean, we have much larger baseball fish to fry in our skillet.The Cubs (93-53) were hoping to begin a 10-game homestand with a boozy celebration of their first division title since 2008. But Keon Broxton homered and Orlando Arcia drove in two runs for Milwaukee, making Chicago wait a little while longer.Now the party shifts to Friday, right after the Cubs afternoon start against the Brewers. It might be a bit anticlimactic for Maddon and Co., but they took all the drama out of the division race long ago.Led by a stellar pitching staff and MVP contenders Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, Chicago got off to a sizzling 25-6 start. After stumbling into the All-Star break, the Cubs pulled away with a 22-6 August that turned the NL Central race into a mere formality.But the division title is not how this group of Cubs will be judged, not this year. After running roughshod over the rest of the majors for most of the season, they are trying to end the franchises famous championship drought that goes all the way back to when the Cubs beat the Tigers in the 1908 World Series.Weve got a lot ahead of us. We really do, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said before the loss to Milwaukee. It kind of all boils down to how you perform in October.Its only the fourth time the Cubs have reached the postseason in consecutive seasons. They got in as a wild card last year and made it to the NL Championship Series before they were swept by the New York Mets.The offseason additions of Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward only added to the anticipation for the Cubs loyal fan base, and they have delivered up until this point. But many of those same fans also were around for the last division title, when the 2008 Cubs won 97 games and then were swept by the Dodgers in the division series.Theres no team Id rather be going into October with, Epstein said. But there are never favorites in October the same way there are in the regular season.Jorge Soler hit a two-run homer for the Cubs, who had won three of four. Mike Montgomery pitched six solid innings and helped himself with a tying single in the fourth for his first career hit.Justin Grimm (1-1) replaced Montgomery in the seventh, and the Brewers put runners on first and third with one out. Gennett, batting for Jimmy Nelson (8-14), blooped an 0-2 curveball into the corner in left for a 5-3 Milwaukee lead.I was just trying to put the ball in play, Gennett said. Hes a guy who throws a lot of curveballs so its important not to get too big or try to do too much. Its really just, get a good pitch to hit and put it in play.The Cubs got one back on Heywards RBI double in the eighth, but Tyler Thornburg threw a called third strike past pinch-hitter Willson Contreras with runners at the corners to end the inning.Thornburg also worked the ninth for his 10th save in 15 chances.It was just a flat-out good ballgame, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. Obviously, with where theyre at, there was great energy in the park tonight.TRAINERS ROOMBrewers: RHP Michael Blazek (right forearm strain) threw a simulated game. Counsell would like to get Blazek into some games before the end of the season, but said theres no rush. The goal with Mike is just to go into the offseason healthy, Counsell said.Cubs: RHP Pedro Strop, who tweaked his right groin while working his way back from arthroscopic left knee surgery, threw a bullpen and said it went well. Hes getting close, Maddon said. Its not far off.UP NEXTMaddon likely will rest several regulars when the series resumes Friday afternoon. RHP John Lackey (9-8, 3.35 ERA) is scheduled to face Brewers RHP Chase Anderson (8-11, 4.53).---Follow Jay Cohen at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap Tie Domi Rangers Jersey . Ancelotti says Ronaldo has recovered from a hamstring injury but "but he doesnt feel comfortable yet so we wont risk him." Madrid is third in the Spanish league, six points behind leader Barcelona, going into Saturdays game against Valladolid. Eddie Giacomin Rangers Jersey . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. http://www.rangershockeyonlineshop.com/marc-staal-hockey-jersey/ . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. Brady Skjei Jersey . "It was nerve-wracking, but we pulled through," said Collaros, who threw four touchdown passes to lead the Toronto Argonauts (8-4) to a 33-27 win over the Calgary Stampeders (9-3) in front of 28,781 fans at McMahon Stadium. Eddie Giacomin Jersey . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. PITTSBURGH -- Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell makes no apologies for the length of his teams games, which can sometimes drag on as the Brewers work counts, steal bases and try to find ways to generate something out of nothing.Counsell calls is slowing the game down. And when it works -as it did in a 9-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night -- the result makes up for the extra time it takes to get there.The Brewers tied a season-high with five stolen bases, worked nine walks and pulled away late to overcome another sluggish start from Chase Anderson even as it took close to four hours to get through nine innings.It wasnt a great pace, Counsell said with a chuckle.Not that it mattered. Jonathan Lucroy drove in three runs, including a two-run single in the sixth inning, as the Brewers bounced back from consecutive walk-off losses by keeping steady traffic on the bases against five pitchers. The top three batters in the lineup -- Jonathan Villar, Hernan Perez and Ryan Braun -- had two hits each for Milwaukee while Chris Carter and Scooter Gennett drove in two runs apiece.Those top three guys had good ABs all night, Lucroy said. I came up with a runner on third with less than two outs three times. When you do that as a four-hole guy, its fun.Milwaukee led 5-4 in the sixth when the Brewers loaded the bases off reliever A.J. Schugel. Lucroy fell behind in the count but recovered to lace a single to left that scored Villar and Perez to give the Brewer bullpen all the cushion it would need.I think we just made an adjustment as a lineup, trying to make better swings at better pitches, Lucroy said.Carlos Torres (2-1) won in relief of Anderson, who struggled once again but was bailed out by an offense that took it to Jeff Locke (8-6), who gave up five runs in three-plus innings.Jordy Mercer went 2 for 3 with two RBI for the Pirates. David Freese doubled twice and Starling Marte added a pair of hits but Pittsburgh couldnt catch up following another shaky outing by Locke. The left-handers ERA this month ballooned to 8.16 in four appearances after he was pulled with the bases loaded and no outs in the fourth.I just had a really hard time getting ahead of people and then putting somebody away, said Lockee, who walked five.dddddddddddd. It seemed everybody we started with a strike to, we followed up with a ball or two balls or three balls. Just unable to put anybody away.Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle was ejected three batters into the game for arguing with home plate umpire Sam Holbrook, who ruled a chopper that appeared to hit Braun as he exited the batters box a foul ball. Bench coach Dave Jauss took over.Anderson remained winless since June 8 despite being staked to leads of 2-0 and 5-3, exiting after needing 86 pitches to get through four innings.My thing this year is I get two runs and I give up three and its gosh, Anderson said. But the guys did a good job. Theyve picked me up this year. It was a good win tonight.TRAINERS ROOMBrewers: Reliever Michael Blazek pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief for Triple-A Colorado Springs on Tuesday night, but there remains no timetable for any possible return to the majors. The team optioned Blazek to the minors earlier this month after he struggled following his return from a stay on the disabled list with a right-elbow impingement in June.Pirates: Rookie RHP Jameson Taillon remained under the MLB concussion protocol on Wednesday but trainer Todd Tomczyk said Taillon is checking out very well and is showing no ill effects of the line drive he took to the back of the head on Tuesday night. Taillon lay on the ground for several minutes after getting hit by a shot off Perezs bat in the second inning but was allowed to remain in the game after getting cleared by Tomczyk and team doctor Edward Snell.I was looking for reasons (to take him out), Tomczyk said. But he continued to show that there was no serious risk there.The 24-year-old will continue to be monitored but barring a setback will make his next scheduled start on Sunday against Philadelphia.UP NEXT:Brewers: Matt Garza will try to snap a three-game losing streak when he makes his seventh start of the season in the series finale.Pirates: Francisco Liriano looks to rediscover his dominance at PNC Park on Thursday. Liriano is 0-3 with a 6.08 ERA in his last five home starts. ' ' '