Cubs top Cardinals, 5-3

CHICAGO - The St. Louis Cardinals' wait to celebrate continues.

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One day after clinching their fourth NL Central division title in six years, the Cardinals kept the champagne corked again Friday after losing 5-3 to the Chicago Cubs.

Though it has the tiebreaker over second-place Houston if the teams finish with 94 wins, St. Louis is holding off on a victory party until it gets one more win.

The Cubs kept the party on hold with two hits and three RBIs from Jeromy Burnitz and Derrek Lee's 44th home run - a solo shot in the first inning..

The Cardinals' Jim Edmonds hit his 28th home run in the top of the inning.

Chicago's Glendon Rusch (7-8) allowed three runs on seven hits in 6 2-3 innings and left with a runner on first. Reliever Michael Wuertz allowed a single to Albert Pujols but struck out Abraham Nunez.

Ryan Dempster pitched the ninth for his 28th save in 30 attempts.

Matt Morris (14-9) lost his fourth straight start and fell to 0-4 against the Cubs, allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings.

With the Cardinals leading 3-2, Rusch and Matt Murton started the fifth with singles, and Neifi Perez laid down a sacrifice bunt. That put runners on second and third and led to the Cardinals intentionally walking Lee, the majors' leading hitter.

With the bases loaded, Burnitz singled to right, driving in two runs to give the Cubs a 4-3 lead. Lee was thrown out at third, and Nomar Garciaparra grounded into an inning-ending fielder's choice.

Burnitz added an RBI single with two out in the seventh, putting runners on first and second, but Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina picked him off.

The Cardinals have the best record in baseball, were the first to clinch a playoff spot this season and are eyeing a return to the World Series after being swept last year by Boston.

Six more victories would give St. Louis 100 in consecutive seasons for the second time in franchise history and first since a run of three straight from 1942-44.

Notes: Cubs LF Jerry Hairston was ejected after the bottom of the third for arguing a strike call with first-base umpire Larry Vanover. Hairston, who tried to pull back after squaring to bunt, argued with Vanover between innings and was ejected by crew chief Randy Marsh.... Cubs C Michael Barrett, who missed Thursday's game after being hit in the head by a pitch from Cincinnati's Matt Belisle on Wednesday night, was out of the lineup again on Friday. A CT scan on Thursday showed no damage. But manager Dusty Baker said he went for more tests on Friday. "They're not worried about him getting hit with a thrown ball," Baker said. "They're more worried about him getting hit with a foul tip, which catchers tend to get quite a bit, so they didn't want to take a chance."... The Cardinals' Sanders and 2B Mark Grudzielanek, who returned this week from injuries, were back in the lineup Friday after being held out of Thursday's game against the Cubs due to cool, rainy weather. Sanders missed 54 games with a fractured right fibula before returning Monday, while Grudzielanek returned Wednesday after missing seven with a sore back.