After opening the series against the Chicago Cubs with a victory, the St. Louis bats struggled on Saturday, as it fell 3-2 at Wrigley Field. While the Cardinals have been playing some great baseball, each loss is crucial with the way the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates have been playing since the All-Star break.

Despite some control issues, the Cardinals really had no answer for Jeff Samardzija on the mound. Samardzija struck out seven batters and allowed only two earned runs in six innings. The Cardinals received a strong effort from Joe Kelly, who allowed only three earned runs in 6.1 innings pitched. Kelly struck out six hitters and issued only one walk in the loss,

At the plate, Carlos Beltran drove in his 72nd run of the season, while Daniel Descalso also drove in a run in the loss.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of this series, visit St. Louis Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos and Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue. And for more from around baseball, check out MLB Daily Dish and Baseball Nation.