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.