Cardinals @ Cubs renightcap: Cards drop both games, lose 5-3 under the lights.

Tonight's double header finale saw a pair of young starters in Tim Cooney (5.40 ERA, 6.68 FIP, 3.83 xFIP) and Dallas Beeler (6.33 ERA, 4.56 FIP in 13 AAA starts), fresh from Iowa.

But first, this update from Carlos Martinez:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Take note: <a href="https://twitter.com/Tsunamy27">@Tsunamy27</a> will trade seeds for votes. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VoteTsunami?src=hash">#VoteTsunami</a> <a href="http://t.co/X2UjeAm0j1">pic.twitter.com/X2UjeAm0j1</a></p>&mdash; #VoteTsunami (@Cardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/618593632669425665">July 8, 2015</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Game

Both Cooney and Beeler acquitted themselves favorably as part of each team's patchwork double header pitching. Tim Cooney put up a line of 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 Ks, 84 pitches to keep the Cardinals in the game.

But the Cardinals batsmen weren't able to get much going against Beeler either.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dallas Beeler has five strikeouts through 3 innings at Wrigley. That&#39;s already more than he had in eight of 13 Class AAA starts. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cardinals?src=hash">#Cardinals</a></p>&mdash; Derrick Goold (@dgoold) <a href="https://twitter.com/dgoold/status/618581381694771200">July 8, 2015</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Cardinals missed a golden opportunity in the 4th, stranding the bases loaded with one out.

The Cubs pulled ahead first, cashing in a Starlin Castro double with a Taylor Teagarden single to drive him home in the bottom of the 5th.

The Redbirds countered in the top of the 6th. Following a Matt Carpenter single, Jhonny Peralta "singled" him over to third. He probably should have had a double on the right field drive, but might have been deked by Soler. James Russell was brought in to face Jason Heyward. Jason was able to score Carpenter from third on a fielder's choice to knot it up at 1. Justin Grimm gave up a single to Mark Reynolds to put the Cards ahead 2-1.

But it would all come undone in the 7th.

After closing out the 6th, Seth Maness came back out for the 7th. Miguel Montero reached with a walk, then Jonathan Herrera (after fiddling with borrowed batting helmets) singled to put two on. And then Addison Russell came to the dish. He lashed a hard grounder up the first base line and into right field. Thing is, none of the Cardinals' fielders were convinced that it stayed fair. In fact, Maness was so convinced of this batted ball's foulness that he emphatically let first base umpire Pat Hoberg know about his disagreement. This led directly to his expulsion from the game. No Cardinal protestations would change the fair call and the now 2-2 tie.

Kevin Siegrist was brought in for pitching duties. Kevin tried to get a double play on a comebacker by Dexter Fowler, but he threw it into LF and another run scored. He likely should have gone home with the throw to get the play in front of him. Anthony Rizzo sac fly scored another and suddenly it was 4-2 Cubs.

The Cubs tacked on another run in the 8th against Carlos Villanueva, putting the game a bit further from reach.

The Cards put up a valiant comeback effort in the 9th, with Randal Grichuk, Peter Bourjos, and Tony Cruz (!) combining to score a run against Jason Motte, but Matt Carpenter and Jhonny Peralta were unable to keep the inning alive and that was the ballgame.

Bulletpoint

• Angel Hernandez is terrible. But you be the judge:

<iframe src="http://www.fangraphs.com/graphframe.aspx?config=0&static=0&type=livewins&num=0&h=350&w=500&date=2015-07-07&team=Cubs&dh=2" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" height="350" width = "500" style="border:1px solid black;"></iframe><br /><span style="font-size:9pt;">Source: <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2015-07-07&team=Cubs&dh=2&season=2015">FanGraphs</a></span>

Tomorrow the Cardinals try to salvage a series split against the Cubs. Michael Wacha (2.66 ERA, 3.17 FIP, 3.51 xFIP) and Jason Hammel (2.89 ERA, 3.09 FIP, 3.15 xFIP) will pitch for their respective teams in the appropriate half inning until they tire and are replaced by a different pitcher. Jason Hammel will begin pitching at 7:05pm Central because he is the home pitcher and, therefore, pitches first.