ST.LOUIS -- The Chicago Cubs lost 4-0 to the St. Louis Cardinals in Friday's Game 1 of their National League Division Series, managing just two hits and one walk against starter John Lackey.

Matt Holliday's base hit up the middle drove in Stephen Piscotty in the first inning, and that run was the difference in the game, though the Cardinals added breathing room with a three-run eighth inning. There were questionable strike calls from behind the plate by umpire Phil Cuzzi, including the final pitch, which Kris Bryant took to end the game with two men on.

The loss puts the Cubs in a tough spot, as they're now counting on a back-of-the-rotation starter, young Kyle Hendricks, to avoid an 0-2 hole.

Thumbs up: Jon Lester hadn't pitched since Sept. 30, so when he left a couple of balls over the plate in the first inning it wasn't a big surprise: The layoff could have affected his sharpness early. But the left-hander settled in nicely after that, matching zeroes on the scoreboard with Lackey. Lester struck out nine while giving up just one walk, which came in his final inning. A pinch-hit home run by Tommy Pham was a big blow with Lester clearly tiring in the eighth, but there's not much more you could ask of your starter in a road playoff game, at least for the first seven innings.

Thumbs down: The slugging combo of Bryant and Anthony Rizzo hasn't done anything through two games in the playoffs. The veteran Rizzo, in particular, is having his struggles; he's now 1-for-15 off Lackey in his career, including 0-for-3 Friday. He popped up, struck out and grounded into a double play. At least Bryant made hard contact, lining out to left in the first, but he also hit into a double play and struck out looking to end the game. Meanwhile, reliever Pedro Strop continued his season-long struggles against the Cardinals, giving up a home run to Piscotty after Lester departed.

What's next: Right-hander Hendricks, 25, gets the call Saturday as the Cubs seek to even the series before heading home. He doesn't throw hard, instead using a mixture of changeups and sinkers to keep hitters off balance. He had an up-and-down year but finished strong, winning back-to-back 1-0 games.