CHICAGO • It could have been worse for the Cardinals' lefty.
It could have been worse twice.
It also could have been better.
The Cubs opened up a 2-0 lead on the Cardinals in the third inning, and both runs came on Chris Denorfia's two-run single with two outs in the inning. That the Cubs only had that many runs to claim after the inning was mainly because Lyons minimized the damage, and were it not for a misplaced pitch to Denorfia Lyons might have escaped the inning without allowing a run at all.