Cardinals-Cubs: Bullpen Dooms Cards Again in Extra Inning Loss

Even a stellar performance from St. Louis Cardinals' starting pitcher Braden Looper couldn't get the job done Friday afternoon.

Perhaps the Chicago Cubs are just that good at home, running their mark to 44-16 at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. One another reason for the loss may just be the Cardinals' struggling bullpen.

After Kyle McClellan and Chris Perez dominated the Cubs in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, Ryan Franklin took the hill for extra innings. Franklin was impressive in his first inning of work, but in the 11th inning, the game unraveled before his eyes.

A leadoff walk to Cubs' slugger Derrek Lee and a single by Aramis Ramirez on a pitch that horribly missed its location left Franklin scrambling to get three outs in a hurry.

Unfortunately, after an intentional walk to Japanese sensation Kosuke Fukudome, the Cubs won the game on a single from the most unlikely of sources, backup catcher Henry Blanco.

Looper tossed seven strong innings, giving up just two runs on six hits, but two long balls by former Cardinal centerfielder Jim Edmonds saw him exit the ballgame with the scoreboard reading 2-2.

The other Cubs savior today was Jeff Samardzija, who tossed two innings of relief work, mowing down the Cardinals without a threat. Samardzija was a standout wide receiver at Notre Dame before pursuing a professional baseball career.

The Cardinals' hitters looked baffled by Samardzija's changeup, which clocked in at 85 mph, as well as his fastball which topped out at 96 mph.

If the Cardinals are going to come back to win this series, they are going to need to provide some offense for the struggling pitching staff. If Looper's start can't produce a win, the offense will need to do their fair share in helping the team get over the proverbial hump.

The "Big Three" of Albert Pujols, Ryan Ludwick, and Troy Glaus combined to go 1-for-10 on the sunny day at Wrigley.

With Cubs' ace Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster taking the hill the next two nights, the Cardinals certainly have their work cut out for themselves as they look to avoid a sweep.