Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn struggled during the opening frame of Wednesday's game and he never recovered in route to a 6-5 loss to the Cubs.
"I just couldn't make the pitch when I needed to," Lynn said, per MLB.com. "I was in some spots to make pitches to get out of innings, and just couldn't get it done tonight. I was leaving balls in the middle of the plate at the wrong time."
Lynn allowed two runs on four hits in the opening frame. He finished the game allowing five runs on eight hits over six innings. He also struck out six batters and walked two. He received his third loss of the season for his effort.
"It was a tough zone, floating around a little bit, and he was fighting, trying to, I think, make perfect pitches at times," manager Mike Matheny said. "But he did a nice job using his cutter. His curveball hurt him one time when he left it up and it got too much of the plate. But otherwise, it was a real effective pitch for him. And he found a real nice feel for his fastball."
His main mistake was a two-run home run to Anthony Rizzo in the third inning. As a result of the performance, his ERA rose from 3.07 to 3.82.
His next expected start is scheduled for Tuesday at Cleveland.