keep the race top spot bubbling. While Greece, the 2004 European champions, eked out a 1-0 win at Lithuania, the Bosnians thrashed Latvia 5-0 away with Manchester City striker Edin D

ST. LOUIS -- Anthony Rizzo had a two-run single, Chris Rusin pitched around seven hits in six innings, and the Chicago Cubs recorded their first shutout in St. Louis in 16 years with a 3-0 victory over the Cardinals on Friday night. Rusin (2-1) twice worked out of bases-loaded jams and only set the Cardinals down in order in the first. He struck out a season-high five and issued two intentional walks. Kevin Gregg recorded his 24th save to complete the Cubs first shutout in St. Louis since Jeremi Gonzalez tossed one on June 23, 1997. Lance Lynn (13-6), attempting to become the National Leagues first 14-game winner, laboured over 6 2-3 innings despite giving up just three hits. He threw 115 pitches and was charged with all three runs. He struck out five, walked five and hit two. Chicago has won two of three, but only has three wins in its past 12. St. Louis has lost four of five and 12 of 16. The Cardinals have been shut out four times during that span and have scored three or fewer runs 10 times, despite getting 13 runs in two victories and 15 runs in a third. Lynns night ended after he plunked Cole Gillespie to load the bases in the seventh with two outs. Lefty Randy Choate came in to face the left-handed Rizzo, who singled to centre on a two-strike pitch to score Darwin Barney and Junior Lake and make it 3-0. The Cubs opened the scoring on Lakes two-out single that scored Welington Castillo, who walked to open the seventh. It could have been more. Starlin Castro was originally called safe by first base umpire Larry Vanover on a bunt that Lynn fielded and applied the tag. After a short argument from Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, the umpire crew gathered and reversed the call for the first out of the inning. Rusin twice intentionally walked Pete Kozma to load the bases with two outs and face Lynn. Lynn struck out in the second and ended the fourth with a grounder. Rusin was lifted for pinch-hitter Logan Watkins with runners at first and second with one out in the seventh. Watkins struck out. Jon Jay had three hits, including two doubles, for the Cardinals. Matt Holliday had two singles. Both managers tinkered with their lineups to try and boost their struggling teams. The Cubs used David DeJesus in the cleanup position for the first time in his career. DeJesus struck out to end the seventh with runners at first and third and finished 0 for 3, with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. The Cardinals moved David Freese to second in the order for the first time this season. He had a single in four at-bats. NOTES: St. Louis pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso was ejected soon after arguing about a called third strike. Matheny came out to argue the ejection and was also tossed. ... Cubs C Dioner Navarro, injured in a plate collision with Philadelphias Chase Hudley on Wednesday, will not go on the disabled list. He was diagnosed with a mild Grade 1 right ankle sprain on Friday and is listed day-to-day. . P Michael Wacha will start Saturdays game in lieu of Adam Wainright who was pushed back to Tuesday against first-place Pittsburgh. . Chicago P Matt Guerrier, placed on the 60-day disabled list Thursday with right elbow soreness, is expected to have surgery on his right elbow for what GM Theo Epstein called flexor mass, though Epstein ruled out ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction or Tommy John surgery. ... St. Louis OF Shane Robinson played in his first rehab game Friday since he went on the 15-day disabled list July 31 with a right shoulder strain. He was the designated hitter for Double-A affiliate Springfield (Mo.) . Friday marked the 25th anniversary of the first night game at Wrigley Field. The Cubs defeated the New York Mets 6-4 on August 9, 1988. Wholesale Custom Rays Shirts .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. Custom Evan Longoria Jersey . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. http://www.customraysjersey.com/ . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. Custom Rays Jerseys . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory. Cheap Rays Jerseys . With his new coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during an official match for the first time, Djokovic appeared tentative early against the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to keep the ball in play.Portugal revived its World Cup qualifying campaign by beating Russia 1-0 while Mario Balotelli was red-carded for Italy in a 0-0 draw at the Czech Republic that put the four-time world champions closer to next years finals. Helder Postigas ninth-minute winner in Lisbon lifted the Portuguese from third to first in Group F, boosting the chances of football fans seeing Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in Brazil next summer. While Portugals qualification is still far from secure, Italy is now four points clear of Bulgaria in Group B with four matches left -- three of which are at home -- after the Azzurri held on for a draw in Prague following the hot-headed Balotellis sending-off for two bookings. On a low-key night of qualifying in the European zone, Belgium and Bosnia-Herzegovina both won to consolidate top spots in their groups but Group H leader Montenegro lost 4-0 at home to Ukraine to put second-place England back in control of its own destiny. Perhaps the biggest celebrations came in Armenia, where Maltas players held hands and danced in celebration after recording a 1-0 win in the other match in Italys group -- only the tiny nations second ever victory in World Cup qualifying. The prospect of Ronaldo, one of the games best and most entertaining players, not featuring in the World Cup would have been very real had Portugal failed to sink a Russia side coming into the match on the back of four straight qualifying wins. Ronaldo lacked the sharpness he usually demonstrates at club level so it was left to Postiga to come to the rescue, tapping in Miguel Velosos free kick at the far post to clinch a huge win for the hosts, who moved two points clear in the group. Fabio Capellos Russia dropped to second but has two games in hand and will still be confident of claiming the one automatic qualifying berth. Italy will head to the Confederations Cup in Brazil knowing only a major collapse will stop them from being back there next summer, too. The Italians needed a couple of good saves from Gianluigi Buffon to secure a point after being forced to defend in the latter stages thanks to Balotellis 72nd-minute dismissal. "Balotelli was nervous," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said of the striker, who argued with opponents, fellow Italians and the referee during the match. "It is his problem and he has to cope with thatt.dddddddddddd" "The point is of great importance for us," Prandelli added through an interpreter. Belgium seized the initiative in Group A by beating Serbia 2-1 through goals by Kevin de Bruyne and Marouane Fellaini and seeing Croatia, which started the night level on points with the leaders, surprisingly lose 1-0 at home to bottom-place Scotland. Belgium is three points clear with three matches remaining. Ukraine roared back into qualifying contention by condemning Montenegro to a first group loss in an action-packed game in Podgorica featuring three red cards and four second-half goals. The visitors went down to 10 men in first-half injury time when Roman Zozulia was given a straight red but Denys Garmash still put them ahead in the 52nd minute. Yevhen Konoplyanka made it 2-0 either side of sending-offs for Montenegro pair Vladimir Volkov and Savo Pavicevic before Artim Fedetskiy and Roman Bezus completed the rout. Montenegro stayed top but England is two points behind in second with a game in hand. Ukraine is a point further back, with two of its remaining four matches coming against last-place San Marino. Poland drew 1-1 at Moldova to drop to fourth and dent its hopes of a top-two finish. Bosnia-Herzegovina and Greece claimed contrasting wins in Group G to keep the race top spot bubbling. While Greece, the 2004 European champions, eked out a 1-0 win at Lithuania, the Bosnians thrashed Latvia 5-0 away with Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko one of five different scorers. Bosnia-Herzegovina has a three-point lead over Greece with four qualifiers left. In Group C, Austria threw the three-team race for the runner-up spot behind Germany wide open by beating Sweden 2-1 in Vienna. The Austrians are level on points with Ireland, which eased past the Faeroe Islands thanks to a hat trick on his record 126th appearance by Robbie Keane, with Sweden three points further back but having a game in hand. Iceland and Albania missed the chance to provisionally climb above Switzerland to the top of Group E by losing 4-2 to Slovenia and drawing 1-1 against Norway, respectively. Switzerland hosts Cyprus on Saturday and can pull four points clear with a win. Finland beat Belarus 1-0 in Group I through Kasper Hamalainens 57th-minute goal to keep alive its slim hopes of catching the top two of Spain and France. ' ' '