VANCOUVER -- Pedro Morales converted a penalty in the first half Wednesday as the Vancouver Whitecaps snapped an ugly 450-minute scoring drought with a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. Morales stepped up to the spot and beat Jon Busch low to the San Jose goalkeepers right in the 39th minute after Whitecaps defender Kendall Waston was fouled by Earthquakes counterpart Victor Bernardez in the area off a Vancouver free kick. Waston then headed home a Morales corner in the 56th minute for his first goal with the Whitecaps since joining the club last month to give Vancouver some breathing room. Morales goal snapped a scoreless streak of exactly seven and half hours -- or five full matches -- for the Whitecaps (8-6-13), who had been shut out in four straight games, and five of their last six. Vancouvers last goal before Wednesday came off the boot of Darren Mattocks, coincidentally in the 39th minute, of the Whitecaps 2-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Aug. 10. Morales -- who now has eight goals on the season, including six from the penalty spot -- snapped a six-game scoring slump of his own as Vancouver leapfrogged the Portland Timbers into the fifth and final playoff spot in Major League Soccers Western Conference. Both teams have seven games remaining on the schedule, including a critical game in Portland on Sept. 20. Vancouver entered Wednesday with just two wins in its last fourteen games and a recent stretch of 0-2-2 forced the club out of the top-5 in the West. Coming off a hard-fought 3-3 road tie against the Timbers on Sunday and having given up 14 goals in its last five games, San Jose (6-11-9) was just what the Whitecaps needed to shake their scoring woes and get back in the win column. Vancouver head coach Carl Robinson again opted for a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield, the same setup that failed to find a way through in Saturdays 0-0 home draw against D.C. United. Mattocks, who started that one but picked up an ankle injury, was replaced in the lineup by Erik Hurtado up top alongside Sebastian Fernandez. The Whitecaps had the bulk of possession before the breakthrough, with San Jose failing to even direct a shot towards David Ousted in the Vancouver goal in the opening 45 minutes. Waston had a chance to open the scoring in the 13th minute but sent a free header just over the bar off a corner kick as a season-low crowd of 17,183 at B.C. Place Stadium groaned in disapproval. Fernandez and Russel Teibert then tried their luck from distance minutes apart midway through the half before Hurtado snatched at a loose ball in the 29th that forced an alert save from Busch. After the Whitecaps grabbed the lead late in the first half from the spot, Fernandez almost doubled the Vancouver lead in the 47th minute, but his shot whipped wide of Buschs goal. The Earthquakes entered Wednesday winless in their last six (0-2-4) and finally got a shot on target when captain Chris Wondolowski directed a header at Ousted off a corner in the 55th. But those positive vibes wouldnt last as Waston -- who missed that golden chance in the first half and another on Saturday -- finally opened his account with the Whitecaps off a Morales corner with a powerful header in the 56th that went through the legs of San Joses Cordell Cato at the near post and past Busch. The big defender pumped his fists and was mobbed by teammates before dropping to his knees in celebration. Morales almost bagged his second in the 73rd, but Busch got his fingers to a shot that was headed to the bottom corner, before Hurtado sent a shot just wide moments later that would have snapped a personal scoring drought that stretches back to June 7. Morales thought he had his second of the night in the 86th minute after scoring on a breakaway, but the referee judged that he controlled the ball with an arm. The loss leaves San Jose 10 points back of Vancouver and eight adrift of Portland in the chase for the final playoff spot in the West, but the Earthquakes do have a game in hand. Notes: Ousted has back-to-back clean sheets to give him nine on the season. ... Morales assist on Wastons goal was his 10th of 2014 to set a Whitecaps single-season record. ... Former Vancouver striker Carl Valentine was inducted into the Whitecaps Ring of Honour prior to the game. ... Vancouver defender Steven Beitashour returned to the starting lineup after missing out on Saturday with a hip problem. ... The Whitecaps will play their third game in eight days on Saturday when they travel to take on FC Dallas. ... San Jose hosts the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday, also their third game in eight days. Cheap NFL Stitched Jerseys . In a matchup of teams battling head-to-head for the final playoff spot in Major League Soccers Western Conference, the Whitecaps run to the post-season took a hard hit when FC Dallas blew open a tie game with two goals in the final minutes for a 3-1 victory Saturday night. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Marc-Andre Fleury, Penguins (3) - Surrendered a tough first goal against on a deflection through the body short side. http://www.cheaponlinenfljerseys.com/ . Carcillo was a little of both for New York in Game 3. Derek Stepan, Martin St. Louis, Dan Girardi and Carcillo scored goals, leading the Rangers to a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. Cheap NFL Jerseys Online . On Thursday, a judge said Varlamov could be released if he posted $5,000 bond and be allowed to travel with the team but he was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend, among other restrictions. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale . The Extreme Heat Policy was enacted at Melbourne Park just before 2 p.m. Thursday, suspending all matches on outer courts until the early evening and requiring the closure of the retractable roofs at Rod Laver and Hisense arenas before play could continue on the show courts.Jamie Redknapp upstaged the professionals by holing an impressive putt during the opening round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Redknapp, who plays off a handicap of four, has been a regular on the golf course in recent years and frequently appears in the tournament played across three courses in Scotland. Alfred Dunhill Links day one Highlights from the opening round in Scotland The tournament has a unique format and has a team competition pairing European Tour players with celebrity golfers, with Redknapp partnered alongside Rikard Karlberg this week. Beginning on the Old Course at St Andrews, the pair reached the turn in 31 aand picked up a shot at the 12th before Redknapp found the green at the par-four next in two.dddddddddddd The Sky Sports Football pundit had work to do and was still over 35 feet from the flag, but judged his birdie attempt perfectly to find the heart of the cup. Click on the video above to see Redknapps moment of magic! Watch the Alfred Dunhill Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports - your home of golf. Live coverage resumes on Friday from 1pm.You can watch Englands tour of Bangladesh, plus Premier League football and the Japan Grand Prix on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy three months at half price! Also See: First round highlights Dunhill Links leaderboard 2015 recap: Olesens victory Golf live on Sky Sports ' ' '